UC-NRLF 


Ex  Libris 
George  Laban  Harding 

' 


SANTA  CLAUS'S  PARTNER 


SANTA    CLAUS'S 
PARTNER 

BY 
THOMAS     NELSON     PAGE 

ILLUSTRATED   BV   W.   (JLACKEXS 


NEW    YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1899 
Copyright,  1899,  by  Charles  Scribner's  Sons 


TO     MY     FATHER 

who  among  all  the  men  the  writer  knew  in  his 
youth  was  the  most  familiar  with  books ;  and  who 
of  all  the  men  the  writer  has  ever  known  has  ex 
emplified  best  the  virtue  of  open-handedness,  this 
little  Book  is  affectionately  inscribed  by  his  son, 

THE    AUTHOR 


MII983 


f 

s 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FROM  DRAWINGS  IN  COLOR  BY  W.  GLACKENS 

I 

Vignette.  Title-Page 

"Guess  who  it  is?"  she  cried.         Facing  page  32 
Livingstone  had  to  dodge  for  his  life.  Jfl 

Half  a  dozen  young  bodies  flung  themselves 
upon  him.  64 

He  took  the  shopkeeper  aside  and  had  a  little 
talk  with  him.  132 

The  little  form  snuggled  against  him  closer  and 
closer.  144 

And  James  with  sparkling  eyes  rolled  back  the 
folding  doors.  162 

Standing  in  the  Christmas  evening  light  in  a 
long  avenue  under  swaying  boughs.  176 


SANTA  CLAUS'S  PARTNER 

f      ¥ 
I 

CHAPTER     I 

BERRYMAN  LIVINGSTONE  was  a 
successful  man,  a  very  successful  man, 
and  as  he  sat  in  his  cushioned  chair  in 
his  inner  private  office  (in  the  best  office- 
building  in  the  city)  on  a  particularly  snowy 
evening  in  December,  he  looked  it  every  inch. 
It  spoke  in  every  line  of  his  clean-cut,  self- 
contained  face,  with  its  straight,  thin  nose, 
closely  drawn  mouth,  strong  chin  and  clear 
gray  eyes ;  in  every  movement  of  his  erect, 
trim,  well-groomed  figure ;  in  every  detail  of 
his  faultless  attire  ;  in  every  tone  of  his  as 
sured,  assertive,  incisive  speech.  As  some  one 
said  of  him,  he  always  looked  as  if  he  had 
just  been  ironed. 


S'S     PARTNER 

He  used  to  be  spoken  of  as  "a  man  of 
parts;"  now  he  was  spoken  of  as  "a  man 
of  wealth  —  a  capitalist." 

Not  that  he  was  as  successful  as  he  in 
tended  to  be ;  but  the  way  was  all  clear  and 
shining  before  him  now.  It  was  now  simply  a 
matter  of  time.  He  could  no  more  help  going 
on  to  further  heights  of  success  than  his  "gilt- 
edged"  securities,  stored  in  thick  parcels  in 
his  safe-deposit  boxes,  could  help  bearing  in 
terest. 

He  contemplated  the  situation  this  snowy 
evening  with  a  deep  serenity  that  brought  a 
transient  gleam  of  light  to  his  somewhat  cold 
face. 

He  knew  he  was  successful  by  the  silent 
envy  with  which  his  acquaintances  regarded 
him;  by  the  respect  with  which  he  was 
treated  and  his  opinion  was  received  at  the 
different  Hoards,  of  which  he  was  now  an 
influential  member,  by  men  who  fifteen  years 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

ago  hardly  knew  of  his  existence.  He  knew 
it  by  the  numbers  of  invitations  to  the  most 
fashionable  houses  which  crowded  his  library 
table;  by  the  familiar  and  jovial  air  with  which 
presidents  and  magnates  of  big  corporations, 
who  could  on  a  moment's  notice  change  from 
warmth  —  temperate  warmth — to  ice,  greeted 
him ;  and  by  the  cajoling  speeches  with  which 
fashionable  mammas  with  unmarried  daughters 
of  a  certain  or  uncertain  age  rallied  him  about 
his  big,  empty  house  on  a  fashionable  street, 
and  his  handsome  dinners,  where  only  one 
thing  was  wanting — the  thing  they  had  in 
mind. 

Berryman  Livingstone  had,  however,  much 
better  proof  of  success  than  the  mere  plaudits 
of  the  world.  Many  men  had  these  who  had 
no  real  foundation  for  their  display.  For  in 
stance,  "  Meteor "  Broome  the  broker,  had 
just  taken  the  big  house  on  the  corner  above 
him,  and  had  filled  his  stable  with  high-step- 
[3] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

ping,  high-priced  horses  —  much  talked  of  in 
the  public  prints  —  and  his  wife  wore  jewels 
as  handsome  as  Mrs.  Parke-Rhode's  who 
owned  the  house  and  twenty  more  like  it. 
Colonel  Keightly  was  one  of  the  largest 
dealers  on  'Change  this  year  and  was  adver 
tised  in  all  the  papers  as  having  made  a  cool 
million  and  a  half  in  a  single  venture  out 
West.  Van  Diver  was  always  spoken  of  as 
the  "Grain  King,"  "Mining  King,"  or  some 
other  kind  of  Royalty,  because  of  his  infallible 
success,  and  Midan  touch. 

But  though  these  and  many  more  like  them 
were  said  to  have  made  in  a  year  or  two  more 
than  Livingstone  with  all  his  pains  had  been 
able  to  accumulate  in  a  score  of  years  of  ear 
nest  toil  and  assiduous  devotion  to  business ; 
were  now  invited  to  the  same  big  houses 
that  Livingstone  visited,  and  were  greeted  by 
almost  as  flattering  speeches  as  Livingstone 
received,  Livingstone  knew  of  discussions  as 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

to  these  men  at  Boards  other  than  the  "  festal 
board/'  and  of  "stiffer"  notes  that  had  been 
sent  them  than  those  stiff  and  sealed  missives 
which  were  left  at  their  front  doors  by  liver 
ied  footmen. 

Livingstone,  however,  though  he  "  kept  out 
of  the  papers/'  having  a  rooted  and  growing 
prejudice  against  this  form  of  vulgarity,  could 
at  any  time,  on  five  minutes'  notice,  establish 
the  solidity  of  his  foundation  by  simply  un 
locking  his  safe-deposit  boxes.  His  foundation 
was  as  solid  as  gold. 

On  the  mahogany  table-desk  before  him  lay 
now  a  couple  of  books :  one  a  long,  ledger-like 
folio  in  the  russet  covering  sacred  to  the  bind 
ing  of  that  particular  kind  of  work  which  a 
summer-hearted  Writer  of  books  years  ago 
inscribed  as  "a  book  of  great  interest;"  the 
other,  a  smaller  volume,  a  memorandum  book, 
more  richly  attired  than  its  sober  companion, 
in  Russia  leather. 

[5] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

For  an  hour  or  two  Mr.  Livingstone,  with 
closely-drawn,  thin  lips,  and  eager  eyes,  had 
sat  in  his  seat,  silent,  immersed,  absorbed,  and 
compared  the  two  volumes,  from  time  to  time 
making  memoranda  in  the  smaller  book,  whilst 
his  clerks  had  sat  on  their  high  stools  in  the 
large  office  outside  looking  impatiently  at  the 
white-faced  clock  on  the  wall  as  it  slowly 
marked  the  passing  time,  or  gazing  enviously 
and  grumblingly  out  of  the  windows  at  the 
dark,  hurrying  crowds  below  making  their 
way  homeward  through  the  falling  snow. 

The  young  men  could  not  have  stood  it  but 
for  the  imperturbable  patience  and  swreet  tem 
per  of  the  oldest  man  in  the  office,  a  quiet- 
faced,  middle-aged  man,  who,  in  a  low,  cheery, 
pleasant  voice,  restrained  their  impatience  and 
soothed  their  ruffled  spirits. 

Even  this,  however,  was  only  partially  suc 
cessful. 

"Go  in  there,  Mr.  Clark,  and  tell  him  we 

' 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

want  to  go  home/'  urged  fretfully  one  youth, 
a  tentative  dandy,  with  a  sharp  nose  and  blunt 
chin,  who  had  been  diligently  arranging  his 
vivid  necktie  for  more  than  a  half-hour  at  a 
little  mirror  on  the  wall. 

"Oh!  He'll  be  out  directly  now,"  replied 
the  older  man,  looking  up  from  the  account- 
book  before  him. 

"You  've  been  saying  that  for  three  hours !  " 
complained  the  other. 

"Well,  see  if  it  doesn't  come  true  this 
time,"  said  the  older  clerk,  kindly.  "  He  '11 
make  it  up  to  you." 

This  view  of  the  case  did  not  seem  to  ap 
peal  very  strongly  to  the  young  man  ;  he  sim 
ply  grunted. 

"  /  'm  going  to  give  him  notice.  I  '11  not  be 
put  upon  this  way—  "  bristled  a  yet  younger 
clerk,  stepping  down  from  his  high  stool  in  a 
corner  and  squaring  his  shoulders  with  martial 
manifestations. 

[7] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

This  unexpected  interposition  appeared  to 
be  the  outlet  the  older  grumbler  wanted. 

"Yes,  you  will!"  he  sneered  with  disdain, 
turning  his  eyes  on  his  junior  derisively.  He 
could  at  least  bully  Sipkins. 

For  response,  the  youngster  walked  with  a 
firm  tread  straight  up  to  the  door  of  the  pri 
vate  office  ;  put  out  his  hand  so  quickly  that 
the  other's  eyes  opened  wide ;  then  turned  so 
suddenly  as  to  catch  his  derider's  look  of  won 
der  ;  stuck  out  his  tongue  in  triumph  at  the 
success  of  his  ruse,  and  walked  on  to  the  win 
dow. 

"  He  '11  be  through  directly,  see  if  he  is 
not,"  reiterated  the  senior  clerk  with  kindly 
intonation.  "  Don't  make  a  noise,  there 's  a 
good  fellow ; "  and  once  more  John  Clark, 
the  dean  of  the  office,  guilefully  buried  him 
self  in  his  columns. 

"  He  must  be  writing  his  love-letters.  Go  in 
there,  Hartley,  and  help  him  out.  You  're  an 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

adept  at  that,"  hazarded  the  youngster  at  the 
window  to  the  dapper  youth  at  the  mirror. 

There  was  a  subdued  explosion  from  all  the 
others  but  Clark,  after  which,  as  if  relieved  by 
this  escape  of  steam,  the  young  men  quieted 
down,  and  once  more  applied  themselves  to 
looking  moodily  out  of  the  windows,  whilst 
the  older  clerk  gave  a  secret  peep  at  his 
watch,  and  then,  after  another  glance  at  the 
closed  door  of  the  private  office,  went  back 
once  more  to  his  work. 

Meantime,  within  his  closed  sanctum  Liv 
ingstone  still  sat  with  intent  gaze,  poring  over 
the  page  of  figures  before  him.  The  expres 
sion  on  his  face  was  one  of  profound  satisfac 
tion.  He  had  at  last  reached  the  acme  of  his 
ambition  —  that  is,  of  his  later  ambition.  (He 
had  once  had  other  aims.)  He  had  arrived  at 
the  point  towards  which  he  had  been  straining 
for  the  last  eight — ten  —  fifteen  years — he 
did  not  try  to  remember  just  how  long — it 
[9] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

had  been  a  good  while.  He  had  at  length  ac 
cumulated,  "on  the  most  conservative  esti 
mate  "  (he  framed  the  phrase  in  his  mind, 
following  the  habit  of  his  Boards) — he  had 
no  need  to  look  now  at  the  page  before  him  : 
the  seven  figures  that  formed  the  balance,  as 
he  thought  of  them,  suddenly  appeared  before 
him  in  facsimile.  He  had  been  gazing  at  them 
so  steadily  that  now  even  when  he  shut  his 
eyes  he  could  see  them  clearly.  It  gave  him 
a  little  glow  about  his  heart; — it  was  quite 
convenient :  he  could  always  see  them. 

It  was  a  great  sum.  He  had  attained  his 
ambition. 

Last  year  when  he  balanced  his  books  at 
the  close  of  the  year,  he  had  been  worth  only 
—  a  sum  expressed  in  six  figures,  even  when 
he  put  his  securities  at  their  full  value.  Now  it 
could  only  be  written  in  seven  figures,  "on  the 
most  conservative  estimate." 

Yes,  he  had  reached  the  top.  He  could  walk 

[  10] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

up  the  street  now  and  look  any  man  in  the 
face,  or  turn  his  back  on  him,  just  as  he  chose. 
The  thought  pleased  him. 

Years  ago,  a  friend — an  old  friend  of  his 
youth,  Harry  Trelane,  had  asked  him  to  come 
down  to  the  country  to  visit  him  and  meet  his 
children  and  see  the  peach  trees  bloom.  He 
had  pleaded  business,  and  his  friend  had  asked 
him  gravely  why  he  kept  on  working  so  hard 
when  he  w^as  already  so  well  off.  He  wanted 
to  be  rich,  he  had  replied. 

"But  you  are  already  rich — you  must  be 
worth  half  a  million  ?  and  you  are  a  single 
man,  with  no  children  to  leave  it  to." 

"Yes,  but  I  mean  to  be  worth  double  that." 

"Why?" 

"Oh!  —  so  that  I  can  tell  any  man  I  choose 
to  go  to  the  d — 1,"  he  had  said  half  jestingly, 
being  rather  put  to  it  by  his  friend's  earnest 
ness.  His  friend  had  laughed  too,  he  remem 
bered,  but  not  heartily. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Well,  that  is  not  much  of  a  satisfaction 
after  all,"  he  had  said  ;  "  the  real  satisfaction 
is  in  helping  him  the  other  way;" — and  this 
Livingstone  remembered  he  had  said  very 
earnestly. 

Livingstone  now  had  reached  this  point  of 
his  aspiration  —  he  could  tell  any  man  he  chose 
"to  go  to  the  devil." 

His  content  over  this  reflection  was  sha 
dowed  only  by  a  momentary  recollection  that 
Henry  Trelane  was  since  dead.  He  regretted 
that  his  friend  could  not  know  of  his  success. 

Another  friend  suddenly  floated  into  his 
memory.  Catherine  Trelane  was  his  college- 
mate's  sister.  Once  she  had  been  all  the 
world  to  Livingstone,  and  he  had  found  out 
afterwards  that  she  had  cared  for  him  too, 
and  would  have  married  him  had  he  spoken 
at  one  time.  But  he  had  not  known  this  at 
first,  and  when  he  began  to  grow  he  could 
not  bring  himself  to  it.  He  could  not  afford 
[  12  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

to  burden  himself  with  a  family  that  might 
interfere  with  his  success.  Then  later,  when 
he  had  succeeded  and  was  well  off  and  had 
asked  Catherine  Trelane  to  be  his  wife,  she 
had  declined.  She  said  Livingstone  had  not  of 
fered  her  himself,  but  his  fortune.  It  had  stung 
Livingstone  deeply,  and  he  had  awakened, 
but  too  late,  to  find  for  a  while  that  he  had 
really  loved  her.  She  was  well  off  too,  having 
been  left  a  comfortable  sum  by  a  relative. 

However,  Livingstone  was  glad  now,  as  he 
reflected  on  it,  that  it  had  turned  out  so. 
Catherine  Trelane' s  refusal  had  really  been 
the  incentive  which  had  spurred  him  on  to 
greater  success.  It  was  to  revenge  himself  that 
he  had  plunged  deeper  into  business  than 
ever,  and  he  had  bought  his  fine  house  to 
show  that  he  could  afford  to  live  in  style. 
He  had  intended  then  to  marry ;  but  he  had 
not  had  time  to  do  so ;  he  had  always  been 
too  busy. 

[13] 


SANTA  CLAUS'S  PARTNER 

Catherine  Trelane,  at  least,  was  not  dead. 
He  had  not  heard  of  her  in  a  long  time ; 
she  had  married,  he  knew,  a  man  named  — 
Shepherd,  he  believed,  and  he  had  heard 
that  her  husband  was  dead. 

He  would  see  that  she  knew  he  was  worth 
—  the  page  of  figures  suddenly  flashed  in  be 
fore  his  eyes  like  a  magic-lantern  slide.  Yes, 
he  was  worth  all  that !  and  he  could  now 
marry  whom  and  when  he  pleased. 


CHAPTER     II 

E~"INGSTONE  closed  his  books.  He 
had  put  everything  in  such  shape 
that  Clark,  his  confidential  clerk, 
would  not  have  the  least  trouble  this  year 
in  transferring  everything  and  starting  the 
new  books  that  would  now  be  necessary. 

Last  year  Clark  had  been  at  his  house  a 
good  many  nights  writing  up  these  private 
books  ;  but  that  was  because  Clark  had  been 
in  a  sort  of  muddle  last  winter, — his  wife 
was  sick,  or  one  of  his  dozen  children  had 
met  with  an  accident, —  or  something, —  Liv 
ingstone  vaguely  remembered. 

This  year  there  would  be  no  such  trouble. 
Livingstone  was  pleased  at  the  thought ;  for 
Clark  was  a  good  fellow,  and  a  capable  book 
keeper,  even  though  he  was  a  trifle  slow. 

Livingstone  felt  that  he  had,  in  a  way,  a 
high  regard  for  Clark.  He  was  attentive  to 
[15] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

his  duties,  beyond  words.  He  was  a  gentle 
man,  too,  —  of  a  first-rate  family — a  man  of 
principle.  How  he  could  ever  have  been  con 
tent  to  remain  a  simple  clerk  all  these  years, 
Livingstone  could  not  understand.  It  gave 
him  a  certain  contempt  for  him.  That  came, 
he  reflected,  of  a  man's  marrying  indiscreetly 
and  having  a  houseful  of  children  on  his  back. 

Clark  would  be  pleased  at  the  showing  on 
the  books.  He  was  always  delighted  when  the 
balances  showed  a  marked  increase. 

Livingstone  was  glad  now  that  he  had  not 
only  paid  the  old  clerk  extra  for  his  night- 
work  last  year,  but  had  given  him  fifty  dol 
lars  additional,  partly  because  of  the  trouble 
in  his  family,  and  partly  because  Livingstone 
had  been  unusually  irritated  when  Clark  got 
the  two  accounts  confused. 

Livingstone  prided  himself  on  his  manner 
to  his  employees.  He  prided  himself  on  being 
a  gentleman,  and  it  was  a  mark  of  a  gen- 
[  16] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

tleman  always  to  treat  subordinates  with  ci 
vility.  He  knew  men  in  the  city  who  were 
absolute  bears  to  their  employees;  but  they 
were  blackguards. 

He,  perhaps,  ought  to  have  discharged 
Clark  without  a  word ;  that  would  have  been 
"business;"  but  really  he  ought  not  to  have 
spoken  to  him  as  he  did.  Clark  undoubtedly 
acted  with  dignity.  Livingstone  had  had  to 
apologize  to  him  and  ask  him  to  remain,  and 
had  made  the  amend  (to  himself)  by  giving 
him  fifty  dollars  extra  for  the  ten  nights' 
work.  He  could  only  justify  the  act  now  by 
reflecting  that  Clark  had  more  than  once  sug 
gested  investments  which  had  turned  out 
most  fortunately. 

Livingstone  determined  to  give  Clark  this 
year  a  hundred  dollars  —  no,  fifty — he  must 
not  spoil  him,  and  it  really  was  not  "busi 
ness." 

The  thought  of  his  liberality  brought  to 
[17] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone's  mind  the  donations  that  he 
always  made  at  the  close  of  the  year.  He 
might  as  well  send  off  the  cheques  now. 

He  took  from  a  locked  drawer  his  private 
cheque-book  and  turned  the  stubs  thought 
fully.  He  had  had  that  cheque-book  for  a 
good  many  years.  He  used  to  give  away  a 
tenth  of  his  income.  His  father  before  him 
used  to  do  that.  He  remembered,  with  a 
smile,  how  large  the  sums  used  to  seem  to 
him.  He  turned  back  the  stubs  only  to  see 
how  small  a  tenth  used  to  be.  He  no  longer 
gave  a  tenth  or  a  twentieth  or  even  a — he 
had  no  difficulty  in  deciding  the  exact  per 
centage  he  gave;  for  whenever  he  thought 
now  of  the  sum  he  was  worth,  the  figures 
themselves,  in  clean-cut  lines,  popped  before 
his  eyes.  It  was  very  curious.  He  could  actu 
ally  see  them  in  his  own  handwriting.  He 
rubbed  his  eyes,  and  the  figures  disappeared. 

Well,  he  gave  a  good  deal,  anyhow — a  good 
[18] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

deal  more  than  most  men,  he  reflected.  He 
looked  at  the  later  stubs  and  was  gratified  to 
find  how  large  the  amounts  were,  —  they 
showed  how  rich  he  was, — and  what  a  di 
versified  list  of  charities  he  contributed  to: 
hospitals,  seminaries,  asylums,  churches,  soup- 
kitchens,  training  schools  of  one  kind  or  an 
other.  The  stubs  all  bore  the  names  of  those 
through  whom  he  contributed  —  they  were 
mostly  fashionable  women  of  his  acquain 
tance,  who  either  for  diversion  or  from  real 
charity  were  interested  in  these  institutions. 

Mrs.  Wright's  name  appeared  oftenest.  Mrs. 
Wright  was  a  woman  of  fortune  and  very 
prominent,  he  reflected,  but  she  was  really 
kind;  she  was  just  a  crank,  and,  somehow,  she 
appeared  really  to  believe  in  him.  Her  hus 
band,  Livingstone  did  not  like :  a  cold,  selfish 
man,  who  cared  for  nothing  but  money-making 
and  his  own  family. 

There  was  one  name  down  on  the  book  for 
[  19] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

a  small  amount  which  Livingstone  could  not 
recall.  —  Oh  yes,  he  was  an  assistant  preacher 
at  Livingstone's  church:  the  donation  was 
for  a  Christmas-tree  in  a  Children's  Hospital, 
or  something  of  the  kind.  This  was  one  of 
Mrs.  Wright's  charities  too.  Livingstone  re 
membered  the  note  the  preacher  had  written 
him  afterwards  —  it  had  rather  jarred  on  him, 
it  was  so  grateful.  He  hated  "gush,"  he  said 
to  himself;  he  did  not  want  to  be  bothered 
with  details  of  yarn-gloves,  flannel  petticoats, 
and  toys.  He  took  out  his  pencil  and  wrote 
Mrs.  Wright's  name  on  the  stub.  That  also 
should  be  charged  to  Mrs.  Wright.  He  car 
ried  in  his  mind  the  total  amount  of  the 
contributions,  and  as  he  came  to  the  end  a 
half-frown  rested  on  his  brow  as  he  thought 
of  having  to  give  to  all  these  objects  again. 
That  was  the  trouble  with  charities,  —  they 
were  as  regular  as  coupons.  Confound  Mrs. 
Wright !  Why  did  she  not  let  him  alone ! 
[20] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

However,  she  was  an  important  woman — the 
leader  in  the  best  set  in  the  city.  Living 
stone  sat  forward  and  began  to  fill  out  his 
cheques.  Certain  cheques  he  always  filled 
out  himself.  He  could  not  bear  to  let  even 
Clark  know  what  he  gave  to  certain  objects. 

The  thought  of  how  commendable  this  was 
crossed  his  face  and  lit  it  up  like  a  glint  of 
transient  sunshine.  It  vanished  suddenly  as  he 
began  to  calculate,  leaving  the  place  where 
it  had  rested  colder  than  before.  He  really 
could  not  spend  as  much  this  year  as  last — 
why,  there  was — for  pictures,  so  much ;  chari 
ties,  so  much,  etc.  It  would  quite  cut  into  the 
amount  he  had  already  decided  to  lay  by.  He 
must  draw  in  somewhere  :  he  was  worth  only 
-  the  line  of  figures  slipped  in  before  his 
eyes  with  its  lantern-slide  coldness. 

He    reflected.    He  must    cut  down   on   his 
charities.   He   could  not   reduce   the   sum   for 
the    General    Hospital    Fund ;    he    had    been 
[  21   ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

giving  to  that  a  number  of  years.  —  Nor  that 
for  the  asylum ;  Mrs.  Wright  was  the  presi 
dent  of  that  board,  and  had  told  him  she 
counted  on  him.  —  Hang  Mrs.  Wright.1  It  was 
positive  blackmail !  —  Nor  the  pew-rent ;  that 
was  respectable  —  nor  the  Associated  Chari 
ties;  every  one  gave  to  that.  He  must  cut 
out  the  smaller  charities. 

So  he  left  off  the  Children's  Hospital 
Christmas-tree  Fund,  and  the  soup-kitchen, 
and  a  few  insignificant  things  like  them  into 
which  he  had  been  worried  by  Mrs.  Wright 
and  other  troublesome  women.  The  only  re 
gret  he  had  was  that  taken  together  these 
sums  did  not  amount  to  a  great  deal.  To 
bring  the  saving  up  he  came  near  cutting 
out  the  hospital.  However,  he  decided  not  to 
do  so.  Mrs.  Wright  believed  in  him.  He  would 
leave  out  one  of  the  pictures  he  had  intended 
to  buy ;  he  would  deny  himself,  and  not  cut 
out  the  big  charity.  This  would  save  him 
[22] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

the  trouble  of  refusing  Mrs.  Wright  and  would 
also  save  him  a  good  deal  more  money. 

Once  more,  at  the  thought  of  his  self-denial,, 
that  ray  of  wintry  sunshine  passed  across  Liv 
ingstone's  cold  face  and  gave  it  a  look  of  dis 
tinction — almost  like  that  of  a  marble  statue. 

Again  he  relapsed  into  reflection.  His  eyes 
were  resting  on  the  pane  outside  of  which 
the  fine  snow  was  filling  the  chilly  afternoon 
air  in  flurries  and  scurries  that  rose  and  fell 
and  seemed  to  be  blowing  every  way  at  once. 
But  Livingstone's  eyes  were  not  on  the  snow. 
It  had  been  so  long  since  Livingstone  had 
given  a  thought  to  the  weather,  except  as  it 
might  affect  the  net  earnings  of  railways  in 
which  he  was  interested,  that  he  never  knew 
what  the  weather  was,  and  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned  there  need  not  have  been  any 
weather.  Spring  was  to  him  but  the  season 
when  certain  work  could  be  done  which  in 
time  would  yield  a  crop  of  dividends;  and 
[23] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Autumn  was  but  the  time  when  crops  would 
be  moved  and  stocks  sent  up  or  down. 

So,  though  Livingstone's  eyes  rested  on  the 
pane,  outside  of  which  the  flurrying  snow  was 
driving  that  meant  so  much  to  so  many  people, 
and  his  face  was  thoughtful  —  very  thoughtful 
— he  was  not  thinking  of  the  snow,  he  was 
calculating  profits. 


[24] 


CHAPTER     III 

AIOISE  in  the  outer  office  recalled 
Livingstone  from  his  reverie.  He 
aroused  himself,  almost  with  a 
start,  and  glanced  at  the  gilt  clock  just  above 
the  stock-indicator.  He  had  been  so  absorbed 
that  he  had  quite  forgotten  that  he  had  told 
the  clerks  to  wait  for  him.  He  had  had  no 
idea  that  he  had  been  at  work  so  long.  He 
reflected,  however,  that  he  had  been  writing 
charity-cheques :  the  clerks  ought  to  appre 
ciate  the  fact. 

He  touched  a  button,  and  the  next  second 
there  was  a  gentle  tap  on  the  door,  and  Clark 
appeared.  He  was  just  the  person  to  give  just 
such  a  tap :  a  refined-looking,  middle-aged, 
middle-sized  man,  with  a  face  rather  pale  and 
a  little  worn  ;  a  high,  calm  forehead,  above 
which  the  grizzled  hair  was  almost  gone ; 
mild,  blue  eyes  which  beamed  through  black- 
[25  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

rimmed  glasses ;  a  pleasant  mouth  which  a 
drooping,  colorless  moustache  only  partly  con 
cealed,  and  a  well-formed  but  slightly  retreat 
ing  chin.  His  figure  was  inclined  to  be  stout, 
and  his  shoulders  were  slightly  bent.  He 
walked  softly,  and  as  he  spoke  his  voice  was 
gentle  and  pleasing.  There  was  no  assertion 
in  it,  but  it  was  perfectly  self-respecting.  The 
eyes  and  voice  redeemed  the  face  from  being 
commonplace. 

"Oh!  — Mr.  Clark,  I  did  not  know  I  should 
have  been  so  long  about  my  work.  I  was  so 
engaged  getting  my  book  straight  for  you, 
and  writing — a  few  cheques  for  my  annual 
contributions  to  hospitals,  etc.,  —  that  the  time 
slipped  by  — 

The  tone  was  unusually  conciliatory  for 
Livingstone ;  but  he  still  retained  it  in  ad 
dressing  Clark.  It  was  partly  a  remnant  of  his 
old  time  relation  to  Mr.  Clark  when  he,  yet 
a  young  man,  first  knew  him,  and  partly  a  re- 
[26] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

cognition  of  Clark's  position  as  a  man  of  good 
birth  who  had  been  unfortunate,  and  had  a 
large  family  to  support. 

"Oh!  that's  all  right,  Mr.  Livingstone," 
said  the  clerk,  pleasantly. 

He  gathered  up  the  letters  on  the  desk  and 
was  unconsciously  pressing  them  into  exact 
order. 

"Shall  I  have  these  mailed  or  sent  by  a 
messenger  ?  " 

"Mail   them,  of  course,"  said   Livingstone. 

"And  Clark,  I  want  you  to " 

"I  thought  possibly  that,  as  to-morrow  is—" 
began  the  clerk  in  explanation,  but  stopped 
as  Livingstone  continued  speaking  without  no 
ticing  the  interruption. 

"I  have  been  going  over  my  matters," 
pursued  Livingstone,  "and  they  are  in  excel 
lent  shape  —  better  this  year  than  ever  be 
fore — " 

The  clerk's  face  brightened. 
[271 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  That 's  very  good,"  said  he,  heartily.  "  I 
knew  they  were." 

—  "Yes,  very  good,  indeed,"  said  Living 
stone  condescendingly,  pausing  to  dwell  for 
a  second  on  the  sight  of  the  line  of  pallid 
figures  which  suddenly  flashed  before  his  eyes. 
"  And  I  have  got  everything  straight  for  you 
this  year ;  and  I  want  you  to  come  up  to  my 
house  this  evening  and  go  over  the  books 
with  me  quietly,  so  that  I  can  show  you  — 

"This  evening?"  The  clerk's  countenance 
fell  and  the  words  were  as  near  an  exclama 
tion  as  he  ever  indulged  in. 

"  Yes — ,  this  evening.  I  shall  be  at  home 
this  evening  and  to-morrow  evening  —  Why 
not  this  evening?"  demanded  Livingstone 
almost  sharply. 

"  Why,  only  —  that  it 's — .  However,—  "  The 
speaker  broke  off.  "  I  '11  be  there,  sir.  About 
eight-thirty,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Livingstone,  curtly. 
[28] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

He  was  miffed,  offended.,  aggrieved.  He  had 
intended  to  do  a  kind  thing  by  this  man,  and 
he  had  met  with  a  rebuff. 

"  I  expect  to  pay  you/'  he  said,  coldly. 

The  next  second  he  knew  he  had  made  an 
error.  A  shocked  expression  came  involuntarily 
over  the  other's  face. 

"Oh!  it  was  not  that!  — It  was—"  He 
paused,  reflected  half  a  second.  "  I  '11  be 
there,"  he  added,  and,  turning  quickly,  with 
drew,  leaving  Livingstone  feeling  very  blank 
and  then  somewhat  angry.  He  was  angry  with 
himself  for  making  such  a  blunder,  and  then 
angrier  with  the  clerk  for  leading  him  into  it. 

"That  is  the  way  with  such  people!"  he 
reflected.  "What  is  the  use  of  being  consid 
erate  and  generous?  No  one  appreciates  it!" 

The  more  he  thought  of  it,  the  warmer  he 

became.  "Had  he  not  taken  Clark  up  ten— 

fifteen  years  ago,  when  he  had  not  a  cent  in  the 

world,  and  now  he  was  getting  fifteen  hundred 

[29] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

dollars  a  year — yes,  sixteen  hundred,  and  al 
most  owned  his  house  ;  and  he  had  made  every 
cent  for  him !" 

At  length,  Livingstone's  sense  of  injury 
became  so  strong,  he  could  stand  it  no  longer. 
He  determined  to  have  a  talk  with  Clark. 

He  opened  the  door  and  walked  into  the 
outer  office.  One  of  the  younger  clerks  was 
just  buttoning  up  his  overcoat.  Livingstone 
detected  a  scowl  on  his  face.  The  sight  did 
not  improve  Livingstone's  temper.  He  would 
have  liked  to  discharge  the  boy  on  the  spot. 
How  often  had  he  ever  called  on  them  to 
wait  ?  He  knew  men  who  required  their 
clerks  to  wait  always  until  they  themselves 
left  the  office,  no  matter  what  the  hour  was. 
He  himself  would  not  do  this ;  he  regarded  it 
as  selfish.  But  now  when  it  had  happened  by 
accident,  this  was  the  return  he  received ! 

He  contented  himself  with  asking  somewhat 
sharply  where  Mr.  Clark  was. 
[30] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Believe  he's  gone  to  the  telephone/'  said 
the  clerk,  sulkily.  He  picked  up  his  hat  and 
said  good-night  hurriedly.  He  was  evidently 
glad  to  get  off. 

Livingstone  returned  to  his  own  room ;  but 
left  the  door  ajar  so  that  he  could  see  Clark 
when  he  returned.  When,  however,  a  few  mo 
ments  afterwards  Clark  appeared  Livingstone 
had  cooled  down.  Why  should  he  expect  grati 
tude  ?  He  did  not  pay  Clark  for  gratitude,  but 
for  work,  and  this  the  clerk  did  faithfully.  It 
was  an  ungrateful  world,  anyhow. 

At  that  moment  there  was  a  light  knock  at 
the  outer  door,  and,  on  Clark's  bidding,  some 
one  entered. 

Livingstone,  from  where  he  sat,  could  see 
the  door  reflected  in  a  mirror  that  hung  in 
his  office. 

The  visitor  was  a  little  girl.  She  was  clad  in 
a  red  jacket,  and  on  her  head  was  a  red  cap, 
from  under  which  her  hair  pushed  in  a  profu- 
[31  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

sion  of  ringlets.  Her  cheeks  were  like  apples, 
and  her  whole  face  was  glowing  from  the 
frosty  air.  It  was  just  her  head  that  Living 
stone  saw  first,  as  she  poked  it  in  and  peeped 
around.  Then,  as  Mr.  Clark  sat  with  his  back 
to  the  door  and  she  saw  that  no  one  else  was 
present,  the  visitor  inserted  her  whole  body 
and,  closing  the  door  softly,  with  her  eyes 
dancing  and  her  little  mouth  puckered  up  in 
a  mischievous  way,  she  came  on  tiptoe  across 
the  floor,  stealing  towards  Clark  until  she  was 
within  a  few  feet  of  him,  when  with  a  sudden 
little  rush  she  threw  her  arms  about  his  head 
and  clapped  her  hands  quickly  over  his  eyes : 

"Guess  who  it  is?"  she  cried. 

Livingstone  could   hear   them   through   the 
open  door. 

"Blue  Beard,"  hazarded  Mr.  Clark. 

"No— o!" 

"Queen  Victoria?" 

«No_o—  o!" 

[32] 


"GUESS  WHO  IT  is,"  SHE  CRIED. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Mary,  Queen  of  Scots  ?— I  know  it's  a 
queen." 

"No.  Now  you  are  not  guessing —  It  isn't 
any  queen,  at  all." 

"Yes,  I  am  — Oh!  I  know— Santa  Claus." 

"No;  but  somebody  'at  knows  about  him." 

"Mr.  L— m— m— " 

Livingstone  was  not  sure  that  he  caught  the 
name. 

"No!!"  in  a  very  emphatic  voice  and  with 
a  sudden  stiffening  and  a  vehement  shake  of 
the  head. 

Livingstone  knew  now  whose  name  it  was. 

"Now,  if  you  guess  right  this  time,  you'll 
get  a  reward." 

"What  reward?" 

"Why,  —  Santa  Claus  will  bring  you  a  whole 
lot  of  nice  — 

"I  don't  believe  that;  —  he  will  be  too  busy 
with  some  other  folks  I  know,  who — 

"No,  he  won't  —  I  know  he  's  going  to  bring 
[33] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

you — Oh!"  She  suddenly  took  one  hand  from 
Clark's  eyes  and  clapped  it  over  her  mouth  — 
but  next  second  replaced  it. — "And  besides, 
I  '11  give  you  a  whole  lot  of  kisses." 

"Oh!  yes,  I  know  —  the  Princess  with  the 
Golden  Locks,  Santa  Claus's  Partner  —  the 
sweetest  little  kitten  in  the  world,  and  her 
name  is — Kitty  Clark." 

"Umhm  —  m!"  And  on  a  sudden,  the  arms 
were  transferred  from  about  the  forehead  to 
the  neck  and  the  little  girl,  with  her  sunny 
head  canted  to  one  side,  was  making  good  her 
promise  of  reward.  Livingstone  could  hear 
the  kisses. 

The  next  second  they  moved  out  of  the  line 
of  reflection  in  Livingstone's  mirror.  But  he 
could  still  catch  fragments  of  what  they  said. 
Clark  spoke  too  low  to  be  heard  ;  but  now  and 
then,  Livingstone  could  catch  the  little  girl's 
words.  Indeed,  he  could  not  help  hearing  her. 

"Oh!  papa!"  she  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of 
[3+] 


SANTA     CLAUSE     PARTNER 

disappointment,  replying  to  something  her 
father  had  told  her. 

"But  papa  you  must  come — You  promised  /" 

Again  her  father  talked  to  her  low  and 
soothingly. 

"  But  papa  —  I'm  so  disappointed  —  I  've 
saved  all  my  money  just  to  have  you  go  with 
me.  And  mamma — I  '11  go  and  ask  him  to  let 
you  come." 

Her  father  evidently  did  not  approve  of 
this,  and  the  next  moment  he  led  the  child  to 
the  door,  still  talking  to  her  soothingly,  and 
Livingstone  heard  him  kiss  her  and  tell  her  to 
wait  for  him  below. 

Livingstone  let  himself  out  of  his  side-door. 
He  did  not  want  to  meet  Clark  just  then.  He 
was  not  in  a  comfortable  frame  of  mind.  He 
had  a  little  headache. 

As  he  turned  into  the  street,  he  passed  the 
little  girl  he  had  seen  up-stairs.  She  was  wip 
ing  her  little,  smeared  face  with  her  hand- 
[35] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

kerchief,  and  had  evidently  been  crying.  Liv 
ingstone,  as  he  passed,  caught  her  eye,  and 
she  gave  him  such  a  look  of  hate  that  it  stung 
him  to  the  quick. 

"The  little  serpent !"  thought  he.  "  Here  he 
was  supporting  her  family,  and  she  looking  as 
if  she  could  tear  him  to  pieces!  It  showed  how 
ungrateful  this  sort  of  people  were." 


CHAPTER     IV 

EINGSTONE  walked  up  town.  It 
would,  he  felt,  do  his  head  good. 
He  needed  exercise.  He  had  been 
working  rather  too  hard  of  late.  However,  he 
was  worth — yes,  all  that!  —  Out  in  the  snow 
the  sum  was  before  him  in  cold  facsimile. 

He  had  not  gone  far  before  he  wished  he 
had  ridden.  The  street  was  thronged  with 
people :  some  streaming  along ;  others  stop 
ping  in  front  of  the  big  shop-windows,  block 
ing  the  way  and  forcing  such  as  were  in  a 
hurry  to  get  off  the  sidewalk.  The  shop-win 
dows  were  all  brilliantly  dressed  and  lighted. 
Every  conception  of  fertile  brains  was  there 
to  arrest  the  attention  and  delight  the  im 
agination.  And  the  interest  of  the  throngs 
outside  and  in  testified  the  shopkeepers'  suc 
cess. 

Here  Santa  Claus,  the  last  survivor  of  the 
[37] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

old  benefactors,  who  has  outlasted  whole  hie 
rarchies  of  outworn  myths  and,  yet  firm  in  the 
devotion  of  the  heart  of  childhood,  snaps  his 
fingers  alike  at  arid  science  and  blighting 
stupidity,  was  driving  his  reindeer,  his  teem 
ing  sleigh  filled  with  wonders  from  every 
region :  dolls  that  walked  and  talked  and 
sang,  fit  for  princesses ;  sleds  fine  enough  for 
princes  ;  drums  and  trumpets  and  swords  for 
young  heroes ;  horses  that  looked  as  though 
they  were  alive  and  would  spring  next  mo 
ment  from  their  rockers ;  bats  and  balls  that 
almost  started  of  themselves  from  their  places ; 
little  uniforms,  and  frocks ;  skates ;  tennis- 
racquets  ;  baby  caps  and  rattles ;  tiny  engines 
and  coaches ;  railway  trains ;  animals  that  ran 
about;  steamships  ;  books;  pictures  —  every 
thing  to  delight  the  soul  of  childhood  and 
gratify  the  affection  of  age. 

There  Kris  Kringle,  Santa  Claus's  other  self, 
with  snowy  beard,  and  fur  coat  hoary  with  the 
[88] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

frost  of  Arctic  travel  from  the  land  of  unfail 
ing  snow  and  unfailing  toys,  stood  beside  his 
tree  glittering  with  crystal  and  shining  with 
the  fruits  of  every  industry  and  every  clime. 

These  were  but  a  part  of  the  dazzling  dis 
play  that  was  ever  repeated  over  and  over 
and  filled  the  windows  for  squares  and  squares. 
Science  and  Art  appeared  to  have  combined 
to  pay  tribute  to  childhood.  The  very  street 
seemed  to  have  blossomed  with  Christmas. 

But  Livingstone  saw  nothing  of  it.  He 
was  filled  with  anger  that  his  way  should  be 
blocked.  The  crowds  were  gay  and  cheery. 
Strangers  in  sheer  good-will  clapped  each 
other  on  the  shoulder  and  exchanged  views, 
confidences  and  good  wishes.  The  truck-driv 
ers,  usually  so  surly,  drew  out  of  each  others' 
way  and  shouted  words  of  cheer  after  their 
smiling  fellows. 

The  soul  of  Christmas  was  abroad  on  the  air. 

Livingstone  did  not  even  recall  what  day  it 
[39] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

was.  All  he  saw  was  a  crowd  of  fools  that  im 
peded  his  progress.  He  tried  the  middle  of 
the  street ;  but  the  carriages  and  delivery- 
wagons  were  so  thick,  that  he  turned  off, 
growling,  and  took  a  less  frequented  thor 
oughfare,  a  back  street  of  mean  houses  and 
small  shops  where  a  poorer  class  of  people 
dwelt  and  dealt. 

Here,  however,  he  was  perhaps  even  more 
incommoded  than  he  had  been  before.  This 
street  was,  if  anything,  more  crowded  than  the 
other  and  with  a  more  noisy  and  hilarious 
throng.  Here,  instead  of  fine  shops,  there  were 
small  ones  ;  but  their  windows  were  every  bit 
as  attractive  to  the  crowds  on  the  street  as 
those  Livingstone  had  left.  People  of  a  much 
poorer  class  surged  in  and  out  of  the  doors ; 
small  gamins,  some  in  ragged  overcoats,  more 
in  none,  gabbled  with  and  shouldered  each 
other  boisterously  at  the  windows  and  pressed 
their  red  noses  to  the  frosty  panes,  to  see 
[40] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

through  the  blurred  patches  made  by  their 
warm  breath  the  wondrous  marvels  within.  The 
little  pastry-shops  and  corner-groceries  vied 
with  the  toy-shops  and  confectionaries,  and 
were  packed  with  a  population  that  hummed 
like  bees,  the  busy  murmur  broken  every  now 
and  then  by  jests  and  calls  and  laughter,  as 
the  customers  squeezed  in  empty-handed,  or 
slipped  out  with  carefully-wrrapped  parcels 
hugged  close  to  their  cheery  bosoms  or  carried 
in  their  arms  with  careful  pride. 

Livingstone  finally  was  compelled  to  get  off 
the  sidewalk  again  and  take  to  the  street. 
Here,  at  least,  there  were  no  fine  carriages  to 
block  his  way. 

As  he  began  to  approach  a  hill,  he  was 
aware  of  yells  of  warning  ahead  of  him,  and, 
with  shouts  of  merriment,  a  swarm  of  sleds 
began  to  shoot  by  him,  some  with  dark  objects 
lying  flat  on  their  little  stomachs,  kicking 
their  heels  high  in  the  air;  others  with  small 
[41  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

single  or  double  or  triple  headed  monsters 
seated  upright  and  all  screaming  at  the  top 
of  their  merry  voices.  All  were  unmindful  of 
the  falling  snow  and  nipping  air,  their  blood 
hot  with  the  ineffable  fire  of  youth  that  flames 
in  the  warm  heart  of  childhood,  glows  in  that 
of  youth,  and  cools  only  with  the  cooling  brain 
and  chilling  pulse. 

Before  Livingstone  could  press  back  into 
the  almost  solid  mass  on  the  sidewalk  he  had 
come  near  being  run  down  a  score  of  times. 
He  felt  that  it  was  an  outrage.  He  fairly 
flamed  with  indignation.  He,  a  large  tax 
payer,  a  generous  contributor  to  asylums  and 
police  funds,  a  supporter  of  hospitals,  —  that 
he  should  be  almost  killed  ! 

He  looked  around  for  a  policeman  — 
"Whoop!    Look    out!    Get  out    the   way!" 
Swish !  Swish  !  Swish !  they  shot   by.   Living 
stone  had  to  dodge  for  his  life.  Of  course,  no 
policeman  was  in  sight ! 


LIVINGSTONE    HAD    TO    DODGE    FOR    HIS    LIFE. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone  pushed  his  way  on  to  the  top 
of  the  ascent,  and  a  square  further  on  he 
found  an  officer  inspecting  silently  a  group  of 
noisy  urchins  squabbling  over  the  division  of 
two  sticks  of  painted  candy.  His  back  was 
towards  the  hill  from  which  were  coming  the 
shouts  of  the  sliding  miscreants. 

Livingstone  accosted  him  : 

"That  sliding,  back  there,  must  be  stopped. 
It  is  a  nuisance/'  he  asserted.  —  It  was  dan 
gerous,  he  declared ;  he  himself  had  almost 
been  struck  by  one  or  more  of  those  sleds  and 
if  it  had  run  him  down  it  might  have  killed 
him. 

The  officer,  after  a  long  look  at  him,  turned 
silently  and  walked  slowly  in  the  direction  of 
the  hill.  He  moved  so  deliberately  and  with 
such  evident  reluctance  that  Livingstone's 
blood  boiled.  He  hurried  after  him. 

"Here,"  he  said,  as  he  overtook  him,  "I 
am  going  to  see  that  you  stop  that  sliding  and 
[43] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

enforce  the  law,  or  I  shall  report  you  for  fail 
ure  to  perform  your  duty.  I  see  your  number 
—  268." 

"All  right,  sir.  You  can  do  as  you  please 
about  that,"  said  the  officer,  rather  surlily,  but 
politely. 

Livingstone  walked  close  after  him  to  the 
hilltop.  The  officer  spoke  a  few  words  in  a 
quiet  tone  to  the  boys  who  were  at  the  sum 
mit,  and  instantly  every  sled  stopped.  Not  so 
the  tongues.  Babel  broke  loose.  Some  went  off 
in  silence ;  others  crowded  about  the  officer, 
expostulating,  cajoling,  grumbling.  It  was  "the 
first  snow;"  they  "always  slid  on  that  hill;" 
"it  did  not  hurt  anybody;"  "nobody  cared," 
etc. 

"This  gentleman  has  complained,  and  you 
must  stop,"  said  the  officer. 

They  all  turned  on  Livingstone  with  sudden 
hate. 

"Arr-oh-h!"  they  snarled  in  concert.  "We 
[44] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

aint  a-hurtin'  him !  What 's  he  got  to  do  wid 
us  anyhow !" 

One  more  apt  archer  than  the  rest,  shouted, 
"He  ain't  no  gentleman — a  gentleman  don't 
never  interfere  wid  poor  little  boys  what  ain't 
a-done  him  no  harm  ! " 

But  they  stopped,  and  the  more  timid  or  im 
patient  stole  off  to  find  new  and  less  inconven 
iently  guarded  inclines. 

Livingstone  passed  on.  He  did  not  know 
that  the  moment  he  left  and  the  officer  turned 
his  back,  the  whole  hillside  swarmed  again 
into  life  and  fun  and  joy.  He  did  not  know 
this ;  but  he  bore  off  with  him  a  new  thorn 
which  even  his  feeling  of  civic  virtue  could 
not  keep  from  rankling.  His  head  ached,  and 
he  grew  crosser  and  crosser  with  every  step. 

He  had  never  seen  so  many  beggars.  It  wras 

insufferable.   For  this  evening,  at  least,  every 

one   was    giving — except    Livingstone.    Want 

was    stretching   out   its    withered    hand   even 

[45] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

to  Poverty  and  found  it  filled.  But  Livingstone 
took  no  part  in  it.  The  chilly  and  threadbare 
street-venders  of  shoe-strings,  pencils  and 
cheap  flowers,  who  to-night  were  offering  in 
their  place  tin  toys,  mistletoe  and  holly- 
boughs,  he  pushed  roughly  out  of  his  way  ; 
he  snapped  angrily  at  beggars  who  had  the 
temerity  to  accost  him. 

"Confound  them  !  They  ought  to  be  run  in 
by  the  police  !  " 

A  red-faced,  collarless  man  fell  into  the 
same  gait  with  him,  and  in  a  cajoling  tone  be 
gan  to  mutter  something  of  his  distress. 

"Be  off.  Go  to  the  Associated  Charities," 
snarled  Livingstone,  conscious  of  the  biting 
sarcasm  of  his  speech. 

"Go  where,  sir?" 

"Go  to  the  devil.'" 

The  man  stopped  in  his  tracks. 

A  ragged,  meagre  boy  slid  in  through  the 
crowd  just  ahead  of  Livingstone,  to  a  woman 
[46] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

who  was  toiling  along  with  a  large  bundle. 
Holding  out  a  pinched  hand,  he  offered  to 
carry  the  parcel  for  her.  The  woman  hesitated. 

— "For  five  cents/'  he  pleaded. 
,  She  was  about  to  yield.,  for  the  bundle  was 
heavy.  But  the  boy  was  just  in  front  of  Liv 
ingstone  and  in  his  eagerness  brushed  against 
him.  Livingstone  gave  him  a  shove  which 
sent  him  spinning  away  across  the  sidewalk  ; 
the  stream  of  passers-by  swept  in  between 
them,  and  the  boy  lost  his  job  and  the  woman 
his  service. 

The  man  of  success  passed  on. 


[47] 


CHAPTER     V 

IF  Livingstone  had  been  in  a  huff  when 
he  left  his  office,  by  the  time  he  reached 
his  home  he  was  in  a  rage. 
As  he  let  himself  in  with  his  latch-key   his 
expression  for  a  moment  softened.  The  scene 
before   him  was  one   which  might   well   have 
mellowed  a  man  just  out  of  the  snowy  street. 
A  spacious  and  handsome  house,  both  richly 
and  artistically  furnished,  lay  before  him.  Rich 
furniture,   costly  rugs,   fine   pictures  and   rare 
books,  gave  evidence   not  only  of  his  wealth 
but  of  his  taste.  He  was  not  a  mere  business 
machine,  a  mere  money-maker.  He  knew  men 
who  were.  He  despised  them.  He  was  a  man 
of  taste  and   culture,  a  gentleman   of  refine 
ment.  He  spent  his  money  like  a  gentleman, 
to  surround  himself  with  objects  of  art  and  to 
give    himself  and    his   friends    pleasure.    Con 
noisseurs  came  to  look  at   his   fine   collection 
[+8] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

and  to  revel  in  his  rare  editions.  Dealers  had 
told  him  his  collection  was  worth  double  what 
it  had  cost  him.  He  had  frowned  at  the  sug 
gestion  ;  but  it  was  satisfactory  to  know  it. 

As  Livingstone  entered  his  library  and 
found  a  bright  fire  burning ;  his  favorite  arm 
chair  drawn  up  to  his  especial  table  ;  his  fa 
vorite  books  lying  within  easy  reach,  he  felt  a 
momentary  glow. 

He  stretched  himself  out  before  the  fire 
in  his  deep  lounging-chair  with  a  feeling  of 
relief.  The  next  moment,  however,  he  was 
sensible  of  his  fatigue,  and  was  conscious  that 
he  had  quite  a  headache.  What  a  fool  he  had 
been  to  walk  up  through  the  snow !  And  those 
people  had  worried  him  ! 

His  head  throbbed.  He  had  been  working 
too  hard  of  late.  He  would  go  and  see  his 
doctor  next  day  and  talk  it  over  with  him. 
He  could  now  take  his  advice  and  stop  work 
ing  for  a  while ;  he  was  worth  —  Confound 
[49] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

those  figures !  Why  could  not  he  think  of 
them  without  their  popping  in  before  his  eyes 
that  way ! 

There  was  a  footfall  on  the  heavily  carpeted 
floor  behind  him,  so  soft  that  it  could  scarcely 
be  said  to  have  made  a  sound,  but  Livingstone 
caught  it.  He  spoke  without  turning  his  head. 

"James  !  " 

"Yes,  sir.  Have  you  dined,  sir?" 

"  Dined  ?  No,  of  course  not !  Where  was  I 
to  dine  ?  " 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you  had  dined  at  the 
club.  I  will  have  dinner  directly,  sir,"  said  the 
butler  quietly. 

"Dine  at  the  club!  Why  should  I  dine  at 
the  club  ?  Have  n't  I  my  own  house  to  dine 
in  ?  "  demanded  Livingstone. 

"Yes,  sir.  WTe  had  dinner  ready,  only  —  as 
you   were    so    late    we    thought    perhaps   you 
were   dining  at   the   club.    You   had   not  said 
anything  about  dining  out." 
[50] 


SANTA     CLAUSE     PARTNER 

Livingstone  glanced  at  the  clock.  It  was 
half-past  eight.  He  had  had  no  idea  it  was  so 
late.  He  had  forgotten  how  late  it  was  when 
he  left  his  office,  and  the  walk  through  the 
snow  had  been  slow.  He  was  hopelessly  in  the 
wrong. 

Just  then  there  was  a  scurry  in  the  hall 
outside  and  the  squeak  of  childish  voices. 
James  coughed  and  turned  quickly  towards 
the  door. 

Livingstone  wanted  an  outlet. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  he  asked,  sharply. 

James  cleared  his  throat  nervously.  The 
squeak  came  again  —  this  time  almost  a  squeal. 

"Whose  children  are  those?"  demanded 
Livingstone. 

"  Ahem  !  I  thinks  they 's  the  laundress's,  sir. 
They  just  came  around  this  evening  — 

Livingstone  cut  him  short. 

"Well !  I —  !  "  He  was  never  nearer  an  out 
break,  but  he  controlled  himself. 
[51   ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  Go  down  and  send  them  and  her  off  imme 
diately  ;  and  you—  '  He  paused,  closed  his 
lips  firmly,  and  changed  his  speech.  "  I  wish 
some  dinner,"  he  said  coldly. 

"Yes,  sir." 

James  had  reached  the  door  when  he 
turned. 

"Shall  you  be  dining  at  home  to-morrow, 
sir?"  he  asked,  quietly. 

"  Yes,  of  course,"  said  Livingstone,  shortly. 
"  And  I  don't  want  to  see  any  one  to-night, 
no  matter  who  comes.  I  am  tired."  He  had 
forgotten  Clark. 

"Yes,  sir." 

The  butler  withdrew  noiselessly,  and  Liv 
ingstone  sank  back  in  his  chair.  But  before 
the  butler  was  out  of  hearing  Livingstone 
recalled  him. 

"  I  don't  want  any  dinner." 

"  Can  have  it  for  you  directly,  sir,"  said 
James,  persuasively. 

[52] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

"  1  say  I  don't  want  any." 

James  came  a  little  closer  and  gave  his  mas 
ter  a  quick  glance. 

"Are  you  feeling  bad,  sir?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  I  only  want  to  be  let  alone.  I  shall  go 
out  presently  to  the  club." 

This  time  James  withdrew  entirely. 

What  happened  when  James  passed  through 
the  door  which  separated  his  domain  from  his 
master's  was  not  precisely  what  Livingstone 
had  commanded.  What  the  tall  butler  did  was 
to  gather  up  in  his  arms  two  very  plump  little 
tots  who  at  sight  of  him  came  running  to  him 
with  squeals  of  joy,  flinging  themselves  on 
him,  and  choking  him  with  their  chubby  arms, 
to  the  imminent  imperiling  of  his  immaculate 
linen. 

Taking  them  both  up  together,  James  bore 

them  off  quietly  to  some  remote  region  where 

he  filled  their  little  mouths  full  of  delightful 

candy  which  kept    their  little   jaws   working 

[53] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

tremendously  and  their  blue  eyes  opening  and 
shutting  in  unison,  whilst  he  told  them  of  the 
dreadful  unnamed  things  that  would  befall 
them  if  they  ventured  again  through  that 
door.  He  impressed  on  them  the  calamity  it 
would  be  to  lose  the  privilege  of  holding  the 
evergreens  whilst  they  were  being  put  up  in 
the  hall,  and  the  danger  of  Santa  Claus  passing 
by  that  night  without  filling  their  stockings. 

The  picture  he  drew  of  two  little  stockings 
hanging  limp  and  empty  at  the  fireplace  while 
Santa  Claus  went  by  with  bulging  sleigh  was 
harrowing. 

At  mention  of  it,  the  tots  both  looked 
down  at  their  stockings  and  were  so  over 
come  that  they  almost  stopped  working  their 
jaws,  so  that  when  they  began  again  they 
were  harder  to  work  than  ever.  To  this  James 
added  the  terror  of  their  failing  to  see  next 
day  the  great  plum-pudding  suddenly  burst 
into  flame  in  his  hands.  At  this,  he  threw  up 
[  54] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

both  hands  and  opened  them  so  wide  that 
the  little  ones  had  to  look  first  at  one  of  his 
hands  and  then  at  the  other  to  make  sure 
that  he  was  not  actually  holding  the  dan 
cing  flames  now. 

When  they  had  promised  faithfully  and 
with  deep  awe,  crossing  their  little  hearts  with 
smudgy  fingers,  the  butler  entrusted  them  to 
some  one  to  see  to  the  due  performance  of 
their  good  intention,  and  he  himself  sought 
the  cook,  who,  next  to  himself,  was  Living 
stone's  oldest  servant.  She  wras  at  the  mo 
ment,  with  plump  arms  akimbo  on  her  stout 
Waist,  laying  down  the  law  of  marriage  to  a 
group  of  merry  servants  as  they  sorted  Christ 
mas  wreaths. 

"  Wait  till  you  've  known  a  man  twenty 
years  before  you  marry  him,  and  then  you  '11 
never  marry  him,"  she  said.  The  point  of  her 
advice  being  that  she  was  past  forty  and  had 
never  married. 

[55] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

The  butler  beckoned  her  out  and  confided 
to  her  his  anxiety. 

"He  is  not  well,"  he  said  gloomily.  "I  have 
not  see  him  this  a-way  in  ten  years.  He  is  not 
well." 

The  cook's  cheery  countenance  changed. 

"But  you  say  he  have  had  no  dinner."  Her 
excessive  grammar  was  a  reassurance.  She 
turned  alertly  towards  her  range. 

"But  he  won't  have  dinner." 

"What !"  The  stiffness  went  out  of  her  form 
in  visible  detachments.  "Then  he  air  sick!" 

She  made  one  attempt  to  help  matters. 
"Can't  I  make  him  something  nice?  Very 
nice?  —  And  light?"  She  brightened  at  the 
hope. 

"No,  nothink.  He  will  not  hear  to  it." 

"Then  you  must  have  the  doctor."  She 
spoke  decisively. 

To  this  the  butler  made  no  reply,  at  least  in 
words.  He  stood  wrapt  in  deep  abstraction,  his 
[  56  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

face  filled  with  perplexity  and  gloom,  and  as 
the  cook  watched  him  anxiously  her  face  too 
took  on  gradually  the  same  expression. 

"I  has  not  see  him  like  this  before,  not  in 
ten  year — not  in  twelve  year.  Not  since  he 
got  that  letter  from  that  young  lady  what — ." 
He  stopped  and  looked  at  the  cook. — "He 
was  hactually  hirascible  !" 

"He  must  be  got  to  bed,  poor  dear!"  said 
the  cook,  sympathetically.  "  And  you  must  get 
the  doctor,  and  I  '11  make  some  good  rich 
broth  to  have  it  handy.  —  And  just  when  we 
were  a-goin'  to  dress  the  house  and  have  it  so 
beautiful !" 

She  turned  away,  her  round  face  full  of 
woe. 

"Ah!  Well!  —  "  The  butler  tried  to  find 
some  sentence  that  might  be  comforting ;  but 
before  he  could  secure  one  that  suited,  the 
door  bell  rang,  and  he  went  to  answer  it. 

[57] 


CHAPTER     VI 

IT  was  Mr.  Clark,  who  as  soon  as  the  door 
wras  opened  stepped  within  and  taking 
off  his  hat  began  to  shake  the  snow  from 
it,  even  while  he  greeted  James  and  wished 
him  a   merry  Christmas. 

James  liked  Mr.  Clark.  He  did  not  rate 
him  very  highly  in  the  matter  of  intelligence ; 
but  he  recognized  him  as  a  gentleman,  and 
appreciated  his  kindly  courtesy  to  himself.  He 
knew  it  came  from  a  good  heart. 

Many  a  man  who  drove  up  to  the  door 
in  a  carriage,  James  relieved  of  his  coat 
and  showed  into  the  drawing-room  in  si 
lence  ;  but  the  downcast  eyes  were  averted 
to  conceal  inconvenient  thoughts  and  the 
expressionless  face  was  a  mask  to  hide  views 
which  the  caller  might  not  have  cared  to 
discover.  Mr.  Clark,  however,  always  treated 
James  with  consideration,  and  James  re- 
[  58] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

ciprocated  the  feeling  and  returned  the  treat 
ment. 

Mr.  Clark  was  giving  James  his  hat  when 
the  butler  took  in  that  he  had  come  to  see 
Mr.  Livingstone. 

"Mr.  Livingstone  begs  to  be  excused  this 
evening,  sir/'  he  said. 

"Yes."  Mr.  Clark  laid  a  package  on  a  chair 
and  proceeded  to  unbutton  his  overcoat. 

"He  says  he  regrets  he  cannot  see  any 
one/'  explained  the  servant. 

"Yes.  That's  all  right.  I  l^now."  He  caught 
the  lapels  of  the  coat  preparatory  to  taking  it 
off. 

"  No,  sir.  He  cannot  see  anybody  at  all  this 
evening/'  insisted  James,  confident  in  being 
within  his  authority. 

"Why,  he  told  me  to  come  and  bring  his 
books  !  I  suppose  he  meant  — !" 

"No,  sir.  He  is  not  very  well  this  evening." 

Mr.  Clark's  hands  dropped  to  his  side. 
[59] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Not  well!  Why,  he  left  the  office  only  an 
hour  or  two  ago." 

"Yes,  sir;  but  he  walked  up,  and  seemed 
very  tired  when  he  arrived.  He  did  not  eat 
anything,  and  —  the  doctor  is  coming  to  see 
him." 

Mr.  Clark's  face  expressed  the  deepest  con 
cern. 

"He  has  been  working  too  hard,"  he  said, 
shaking  his  head.  "  He  ought  to  have  let  me 
go  over  those  accounts.  With  all  he  has  to 
carry!" 

"Yes,  sir,  that's  it,"  said  James,  heartily. 

"Well,  don't  you  think  I  'd  better  go  up 
and  see  him?"  asked  the  old  clerk,  solicit 
ously.  "I  might  be  able  to  suggest  some 
thing?" 

"No,  sir.   He  said  quite  positive  he  would 
not  see  anybody."  James  looked  the  clerk  full 
in   the   face.  "I   was  afraid   something  might 
'ave  'appened  down  in  the — ah — ?" 
[60] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

Mr.  Clark's  face  lit  up  with  a  kindly  light. 

"No,  indeed.  It's  nothing  like  that,  James. 
We  never  had  so  good  a  year.  You  can  make 
your  mind  easy  about  that." 

"Thank  you,  sir/'  said  the  servant.  "We'll 
have  the  doctor  drop  in  to  see  him,  and  I 
hope  he  '11  be  all  right  in  the  morning.  Snowy 
night,  sir." 

"I  hope  so,"  said  Mr.  Clark,  not  intending 
to  convey  his  views  as  to  the  weather.  "You  '11 
let  me  know  if  I  am  wanted — if  I  can  do  any 
thing.  I  will  come  around  first  thing  in  the 
morning  to  see  how  he  is.  I  hope  he  '11  be  all 
right.  Good-night.  A  merry  Christmas  to  you." 

"  Good-night,  sir.  Thankee,  sir ;  the  same  to 
you,  sir.  I  'm  going  to  wait  up  to  see  how  he 
is.  Good-night,  sir." 

And   James    shut    the    door    softly    behind 

the    visitor,   feeling    a    sense    of   comfort    not 

wholly  accounted   for    by  the   information    as 

to  the   successful  year.    Mr.   Clark,   somehow, 

[61] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

always  reassured  him.  The  butler  could  un 
derstand  the  springs  that  moved  that  kindly 
spirit. 

What  Mr.  Clark  thought  as  he  tramped 
back  through  the  snow  need  not  be  fully  de 
tailed.  But  at  least,  one  thing  was  certain,  he 
never  thought  of  himself. 

If  he  recalled  that  a  mortgage  would  be 
due  on  his  house  just  one  week  from  that  day, 
and  that  the  doctors'  bills  had  been  unusually 
heavy  that  year,  it  was  not  on  his  own  account 
that  he  was  anxious.  Indeed,  he  never  con 
sidered  himself;  there  were  too  many  others 
to  think  of.  One  thought  was  that  he  was 
glad  his  friend  had  such  a  good  servant  as 
James  to  look  after  him.  Another  was  pity 
that  Livingstone  had  never  known  the  joy 
that  was  awaiting  himself  when  at  the  end 
of  that  mile  of  snow  he  should  peep  into 
the  little  cosy  back  room  (for  the  front  room 
was  mysteriously  closed  this  evening),  where 
[62] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

a  sweet-faced,  frail-looking  woman  would  be 
lying  on  a  lounge  with  a  half-dozen  little 
curly  heads  bobbing  about  her.  He  knew 
what  a  scream  of  delight  would  greet  him  as 
he  poked  his  head  in ;  and  out  in  the  darkness 
and  cold  John  Clark  smiled  and  smacked  his 
lips  as  he  thought  of  the  kisses  and  squeezes, 
and  renewed  kisses  that  would  be  his  lot  as 
he  told  how  he  would  be  with  them  all  the 
evening. 

Yes,  he  was  undoubtedly  sorry  for  Living 
stone,  a  poor  lonely  man  in  that  great  house  ; 
and  he  determined  that  he  would  not  say 
much  about  his  being  ill.  Women  did  not  al 
ways  exactly  understand  some  men,  and  when 
he  left  home,  Mrs.  Clark  had  expressed  some 
very  strong  views  as  to  Livingstone  which  had 
pained  Clark.  She  had  even  spoken  of  him  as 
selfish  and  miserly.  He  would  just  say  now 
that  Livingstone  on  his  arrival  had  sent  him 
straight  back  home. 

[63] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

No,  Mr.  Clark  never  thought  of  himself,  and 
this  made  him  richer  than  Mr.  Livingstone. 

When  Mr.  Clark  reached  home  his  expecta 
tion  was  more  than  realized.  From  the  way  in 
which  he  noiselessly  opened  the  front  door 
and  then  stole  along  the  little  passage  to  the 
back  room,  from  which  the  sound  of  many 
voices  was  coming  as  though  it  were  a  mimic 
Babel,  you  might  have  thought  he  was  a 
thief. 

And  when  he  opened  the  door  softly  and, 
with  dancing  eyes,  poked  his  head  into  the 
room,  you  might  have  thought  he  was  Santa 
Claus  himself.  There  was  one  second  of  dead 
silence  as  a  half-dozen  jmir  of  eyes  stretched 
wide  and  a  half-dozen  mouths  opened  with  a 
gasp,  and  then,  with  a  shout  which  would 
have  put  to  the  blush  a  tribe  of  wild  Indians, 
a  half-do/en  young  bodies  flung  themselves 
upon  him  with  screams  and  shrieks  of  de 
light.  John  Clark's  neck  must  have  been  of 
[«*] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

iron  to  withstand  such  hugs  and  tugs  as  it  was 
given. 

The  next  instant  he  was  drawn  bodily  into 
the  room  and  pushed  down  forcibly  into  a 
chair,  whilst  the  whole  half-dozen  piled  upon 
him  with  demands  to  be  told  how  he  had  man 
aged  to  get  off  and  come  back.  No  one  but 
Clark  could  have  understood  them  or  answered 
them,,  but  somehow,  as  his  arms  seemed  able 
to  gather  in  the  whole  lot  of  struggling,  squeez 
ing,  wriggling,  shoving  little  bodies,  so  his  ears 
seemed  to  catch  all  the  questions  and  his  mind 
to  answer  each  in  turn  and  all  together. 

"'How  did  I  come?'  —  Ran  every  step  of 
the  way. — fWhy  did  I  come  back?' — Well! 
that 's  a  question  for  a  man  with  eight  children 
who  will  sit  up  and  keep  Santa  Claus  out  of 
the  house  unless  their  father  comes  home  and 
puts  them  to  bed  and  holds  their  eyelids  down 
to  keep  them  from  peeping  and  scaring  Santa 
Claus  away ! 

[65  J 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

—  "'What    did     Mr.     Livingstone     say?'- 
Well,  what  do  you  suppose  a  man  would  say 
Christmas  Eve  to  another  man  who  has  eight 
wide-awake  children  who  will   sit  up  in  front 
of  the    biggest    fire-place   in   the   house   until 
midnight   Christmas  Eve  so  that  Santa  Claus 
can't  come  down  the  only  chimney  big  enough 
to   hold  his    presents?   He   would    say,  'John 
Clark,  I  have  no  children  of  my  own,  but  you 
have   eight,  and  if  you   don't   go    home    this 
minute  and  see  that  those  children  are  in  bed 
and    fast    asleep    and    snoring, — yes,    snoring, 
mind,  —  by  ten  o'clock,    I  '11  never,  and  Santa 
Claus  will  never  — !' 

—  "'Did   I  see  anything  of  Santa   Claus?' 
Well,  if  I  were  to  tell  you  —  what  I  saw   this 
night,      why,  —  you  'd      never     believe      me. 
There 's  a  sleigh    so    big    coming    in    a   little 
while  to  this  town,  and  this   street,  and  this 
house,  that  it  holds  presents  enough  for — . 

'"When    will   it  be   here?'   Well,  from   the 
[66] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

sleigh-bells  that  I  heard  I  should  say — .  My 
goodness,  gracious !  If  it  is  n't  almost  ten 
o'clock,  and  if  that  sleigh  should  get  here 
whilst  there 's  a  single  eye  open  in  this 
house,  I  don't  know  what  Santa  Claus  might 
do!" 

And,  with  a  strength  that  one  might  have 
thought  quite  astonishing,  John  Clark  rose 
somehow  from  under  the  mass  of  little  heads, 
and,  with  his  arms  still  around  them,  still  talk 
ing,  still  cajoling,  still  entertaining  and  still 
caressing,  he  managed  to  bear  the  whole 
curly,  chattering  flock  to  the  door  where, 
with  renewed  kisses  and  squeezes  and  ques 
tions,  they  were  all  finally  induced  to  release 
their  hold  and  run  squeaking  and  frisking  off 
upstairs  to  bed. 

Then,  as  he  closed  the  door,  Clark  turned 

and  looked  at  the  only  other  occupant  of  the 

room,   a    lady   whose    pale    face    would    have 

told    her   story    even   had    she   not   remained 

[67] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

outstretched  on  a  lounge  during  the  preceding 
scene. 

If,  however,  Mrs.  Clark's  face  was  pale,  her 
eyes  were  brilliant,  and  the  look  that  she  and 
her  husband  exchanged  told  that  even  in- 
validism  and  narrow  means  have  alleviations, 
so  full  was  the  glance  they  gave  of  confi 
dence  and  joy. 

Yet,  as  absolute  as  was  their  confidence, 
Mr.  Clark  did  not  now  tell  his  wife  the  truth. 
He  gave  her  in  a  few  words  the  reason  of  his 
return.  Mr.  Livingstone  was  feeling  unwell, 
he  said.  He  had  not  remembered  it  was 
Christmas  Eve,  he  added ;  and,  turning 
quickly  and  opening  the  door  into  the  front 
room  he  guilefully  dived  at  once  into  the 
matter  of  the  Christmas-tree  which  was  stand 
ing  there  waiting  to  be  dressed. 

Whether  or  not  Mr.  Clark  deceived  Mrs. 
Clark  might  be  a  matter  of  question.  Mr. 
Clark  was  not  good  at  deception.  Mrs.  Clark 

[68] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

was  better  at  it ;  but  then,  to-night  was  a 
night  of  peace  and  good-will,  and  since  her 
husband  had  returned  she  was  willing  to  for 
give  even  Livingstone. 


[69] 


CHAPTER    VII 

E1XGSTONE,  at  this  moment,  was  not 
feeling  as  wealthy  as  the  row  of  fig 
ures  in  clean-cut  lines  that  were  now 
beginning  to  be  almost  constantly  before  his 
eyes  might  have  seemed  to  warrant.  He  was 
sitting  sunk  deep  in  his  cushioned  arm-chair. 
The  tweaks  in  his  forehead  that  had  annoyed 
him  earlier  in  the  evening  had  changed  to 
twinges,  and  the  twinges  had  now  given  place 
to  a  dull,  steady  ache.  And  every  thought  of 
his  wealth  brought  that  picture  of  seven  star 
ing  figures  before  his  eyes,  whilst,  in  place  of 
the  glow  which  they  had  brought  at  first,  he 
now  at  every  recollection  of  them  had  a  cold 
thrill  of  apprehension  lest  they  might  appear. 

James's  inquiry,   "Shall    you   be   dining  at 

home  to-morrow  ?  "  had  recurred  to  him  and 

now  disturbed  him.  It  was  a  simple  question ; 

nothing  remarkable  in  it.  It  now  came  to  him 

[70] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

that  to-morrow  was  Christmas  Day,  and  he 
had  forgotten  it.  This  was  remarkable.  He  had 
never  forgotten  it  before,  but  this  year  he  had 
been  working  so  hard  and  had  been  so  en 
grossed  he  had  not  thought  of  it.  Even  this 
reflection  brought  the  spectral  figures  back 
sharply  outlined  before  his  eyes.  They  stayed 
longer  now.  He  must  think  of  something 
else. 

He  thought  of  Christmas.  This  was  the 
first  Christmas  he  had  ever  been  at  home 
by  himself.  A  Christmas  dinner  alone !  Who 
had  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing !  He  must  go 
out  to  dinner,  of  course.  He  glanced  over 
at  his  table  where  James  always  put  his  mail. 
Everything  was  in  perfect  order :  the  book  he 
had  read  the  night  before  ;  the  evening  paper 
and  the  last  financial  quotation  were  all 
there ;  but  not  a  letter.  James  must  have 
forgot  them. 

He  turned  to  rise  and  ring  the  bell  and 
[  71  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

glanced  across   the   room  towards  it.   What  a 
dark  room  it  was!  What  miserable  gas! 

He  turned  up  the  light  at  his  hand.  It 
did  not  help  perceptibly.  He  sank  back. 
What  selfish  dogs  people  were,  he  reflected. 
Of  all  the  hosts  of  people  he  knew,— peo 
ple  who  had  entertained  him  and  whom  he 
had  entertained,  —  not  one  had  thought  to 
invite  him  to  the  Christmas  dinner.  A  do/en 
families  at  whose  houses  he  had  often  been 
entertained  flashed  across  his  mind.  Why, 
years  ago  he  used  to  have  a  half-dozen  in 
vitations  to  Christmas  dinner,  and  now  he 
had  not  one !  Even  Mrs.  Wright,  to  whom  he 
had  just  sent  a  contribution  for — Hello!  that 
lantern-slide  again  !  It  would  not  do  to  think 
of  figures.  —  Even  she  had  not  thought  of 
him. 

There  must  be  some  reason  ?  he  pondered. 
Yes,  Christmas  dinners  were  always  family  re 
unions —  that  was  the  reason   he  was  left  out 
[72] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

and  forgotten; — yes,  forgotten.  A  list  of  the 
people  who  he  knew  would  have  such  re 
unions  came  to  him; — almost  every  one  of  his 
acquaintances  had  a  family;  —  even  Clark  had 
a  family  and  would  have  a  Christmas  dinner. 

At  the  thought,  a  pang  almost  of  envy  of 
Clark  smote  him. 

Suddenly  his  own  house  seemed  to  grow 
vast  and  empty  and  lonely ;  he  felt  per 
fectly  desolate, — abandoned — alone — ill!  He 
glanced  around  at  his  pictures.  They  were 
cold,  staring,  stony,  dead !  The  reflection  of 
the  cross  lights  made  them  look  ghastly. 

As  he  gazed  at  them  the  figures  they  had 
cost  shot  before  his  eyes.  My  God !  he  could 
not  stand  this !  He  sprang  to  his  feet.  Even 
the  pain  of  getting  up  was  a  relief.  He  stared 
around  him.  Dead  silence  and  stony  faces  were 
all  about  him.  The  capacious  room  seemed  a 
vast,  empty  cavern,  and  as  he  stood  he  saw 
stretching  before  him  his  whole  future  life 
[73] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

spent  in  this  house,  as  lonely,  silent,  and  deso 
late  as  this.  It  was  unbearable. 

He  walked  through  to  his  drawing-room. 
The  furniture  was  sheeted,  the  room  colder 
and  lonelier  a  thousand-fold  than  the  other ; 
—  on  into  the  dining-room  ;  —  the  bare  table 
in  the  dim  light  looked  like  ice ;  the  sideboard 
with  its  silver  and  glass,  bore  sheets  of  ice. 
"  Pshaw  !  "  He  turned  up  the  lights.  He  would 
take  a  drink  of  brandy  and  go  to  bed. 

He  took  a  decanter,  poured  out  a  drink  and 
drained  it  off.  His  hand  trembled,  but  the 
stimulant  helped  him  a  little.  It  enabled  him 
to  collect  his  ideas  and  think.  But  his 
thoughts  still  ran  on  Christmas  and  his  lone 
liness. 

Why  should  not  he  give  a  Christmas  dinner 
and  invite  his  friends  ?  Yes,  that  was  what  he 
would  do.  Whom  should  he  ask?  His  mind 
began  to  run  over  the  list.  Every  one  he 
knew  had  his  own  house  ;  and  as  to  friends 
[74] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

—  why,  he  didn't  have  any  friends!  He  had 
only  acquaintances.  He  stopped  suddenly,  ap 
palled  by  the  fact.  He  had  not  a  friend  in  the 
world !  Why  was  it  ?  In  answer  to  the  thought 
the  seven  figures  flashed  into  sight.  He  put 
his  hand  to  his  eyes  to  shut  them  out.  He 
knew  now  why.  He  had  been  too  busy  to 
make  friends.  He  had  given  his  youth  and  his 
middle  manhood  to  accumulate  —  those  seven 
figures  again!  —  And  he  had  given  up  his 
friendships.  He  was  now  almost  aged. 

He  walked  into  his  drawing-room  and 
turned  up  the  light — all  the  lights  to  look 
at  himself  in  a  big  mirror.  He  did  look  at 
himself  and  he  was  confounded.  He  was  not 
only  no  longer  young — he  was  prepared  for 
this — but  he  was  old.  He  would  not  have 
dreamed  he  could  be  so  old.  He  was  gray 
and  wrinkled. 

As  he  faced  himself  his  blood  seemed  sud 
denly  to  chill.  He  was  conscious  of  a  sensible 
[75] 


SANTA  CLAUS'S  PARTNER 

ebb  as  if  the  tide  about  his  heart  had  sud 
denly  sunk  lower.  Perhaps,  it  was  the  cooling 
of  the  atmosphere  as  the  fire  in  his  library 
died  out, — or  was  it  his  blood? 

He  went  back  into  his  library  not  ten  min 
utes,  but  ten  years  older  than  when  he  left  it. 

He  sank  into  his  chair  and  insensibly  began 
to  scan  his  life.  He  had  just  seen  himself  as 
he  was ;  he  now  saw  himself  as  he  had  been 
long  ago,  and  saw  how  he  had  become  what 
he  was.  The  whole  past  lay  before  him  like  a 
slanting  pathway. 

He  followed  it  back  to  where  it  began  —  in 
an  old  home  far  off  in  the  country. 

He  was  a  very  little  boy.  All  about  was  the 
bustle  and  stir  of  preparation  for  Christmas. 
Cheer  was  in  every  face,  for  it  was  in  every 
heart.  Boxes  were  coming  from  the  city  by 
every  conveyance.  The  store-room  and  closets 
were  centres  of  unspeakable  interest,  shrouded 
in  delightful  mystery.  The  kitchen  was  lighted 
[76] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

by  the  roaring  fire  and  steaming  from  the 
numberless  good  things  preparing  for  the  next 
day's  feast.  Friends  were  arriving  from  the  dis 
tant  railway  and  were  greeted  with  universal 
delight.  The  very  rigor  of  the  weather  was 
deemed  a  part  of  the  Christmas  joy,  for  it 
was  known  that  Santa  Claus  with  his  jin 
gling  sleigh  came  the  better  through  the 
deeper  snow.  Everything  gave  the  little  boy 
joy,  particularly  going  with  his  father  and 
mother  to  bear  good  things  to  poor  people 
who  lived  in  smaller  houses.  They  were  always 
giving ;  but  Christmas  was  the  season  for  a 
more  general  and  generous  distribution.  He 
recalled  across  forty  years  his  father  and 
mother  putting  the  presents  into  his  hands 
to  bestow,  and  his  father's  words,  "My  boy, 
learn  the  pleasure  of  giving." 

The  rest  was  all  blaze  and  light  and  glow, 
and  his  father  and  mother  moving  about  like 
shining  spirits  amid  it  all. 
[77] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Then  he  was  a  schoolboy,  measuring  the 
lagging  time  by  the  coming  Christmas  ;  count 
ing  the  weeks,  the  days,  the  hours  in  an  ecs 
tasy  of  impatience  until  he  should  be  free 
from  the  drudgery  of  books  and  the  slavery 
of  classes,  and  should  be  able  to  start  for  home 
with  the  friends  who  had  leave  to  go  with 
him.  How  slowly  the  time  crept  by,  and  how 
he  told  the  other  boys  of  the  joys  that  would 
await  them !  And  when  it  had  really  gone, 
and  they  were  free  !  how  delicious  it  used  to 
be! 

As  the  scene  appeared  before  him  Living 
stone  could  almost  feel  again  the  thrill  that 
set  him  quivering  with  delight ;  the  boundless 
joy  that  filled  his  veins  as  with  an  elixir. 

The  arrival  at  the  station  drifted  before  him 
and  the  pride  of  his  introduction  of  the  ser 
vants  whose  faces  shone  with  pleasure ;  the 
drive  home  through  the  snow,  which  used 
somehow  to  be  warming,  not  chilling,  in  those 
[78] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

days  ;  and  then,,  through  the  growing  dusk,  the 
first  sight  of  the  home-light,  set,  he  knew,  by 
the  mother  in  her  window  as  a  beacon  shining 
from  the  home  and  mother's  heart.  Then  the 
last,  toilsome  climb  up  the  home-hill  and 
the  outpouring  of  welcome  amid  cheers  and 
shouts  and  laughter. 

Oh,  the  joy  of  that  time !  And  through  all 
the  festivity  was  felt,  like  a  sort  of  per 
vading  warmth,  the  fact  that  that  day  Christ 
came  into  the  world  and  brought  peace  and 
good  will  and  cheer  to  every  one. 

The  boy  Livingstone  saw  was  now  installed 
regularly  as  the  bearer  of  Christmas  presents 
and  good  things  to  the  poor,  and  the  pleasure 
he  took  then  in  his  office  flashed  across  Liv 
ingstone's  mind  like  a  sudden  light.  It  lit  up 
the  faces  of  many  whom  Livingstone  had 
not  thought  of  for  years.  They  were  all  beam 
ing  on  him  now  with  a  kindliness  to  which 
he  had  long  been  a  stranger ;  that  kindliness 
[79] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

which    belongs  only    to    our    memory   of  our 
youth. 

Was  it  possible  that  he  could  ever  have  had 
so  many  friends !  The  man  in  the  chair  put 
his  hand  to  his  eyes  to  try  and  hold  the 
beautiful  vision,  but  it  faded  away,  shut  out 
from  view  by  another. 


[SO] 


CHAPTER     VIII 

THE  vision  that  came  next  was  of 
a  college  student.  The  Christmas 
holidays  were  come  again.  They 
were  still  as  much  the  event  of  the  year  as 
when  he  was  a  schoolboy.  Once  more  he 
was  on  his  way  home  accompanied  by  friends 
whom  he  had  brought  to  help  him  enjoy  the 
holidays,  his  enjoyment  doubled  by  their  en 
joyment.  Once  more,  as  he  touched  the  soil 
of  his  own  neighborhood,  from  a  companion  he 
became  a  host.  Once  more  with  his  friends  he 
reached  his  old  home  and  was  received  with 
that  greeting  which  he  never  met  with  else 
where.  He  saw  his  father  and  mother  stand 
ing  on  the  wide  portico  before  the  others  with 
outstretched  arms,  affection  and  pride  beam 
ing  in  their  faces.  He  witnessed  their  cordial 
greeting  of  his  friends.  "Our  son's  friends  are 
our  friends,"  he  heard  them  say. 
[81  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Henry  Trelane  said  afterwards,  "  Why,  Liv 
ingstone,  you  have  told  me  of  your  home 
and  your  horses,  but  never  told  me  of  your 
father  and  mother.  Do  you  know  that  they 
are  the  best  in  the  world  ? "  Somehow,  it 
had  seemed  to  open  his  eyes,  and  the  man 
ner  in  which  his  friends  had  hung  on  his 
father's  words  had  increased  his  own  respect 
for  him.  One  of  them  had  said,  "  Living 
stone,  I  like  you,  but  I  love  your  father." 
The  phrase,  he  remembered,  had  not  alto 
gether  pleased  him,  and  yet  it  had  not  al 
together  displeased  him  either.  But  Henry 
Trelane  was  very  near  to  him  in  those  days. 
Not  only  was  he  the  soul  of  honor  and 
high-mindedness,  with  a  mind  that  reflected 
truth  as  an  unruffled  lake  reflects  the  sky, 
but  he  was  the  brother  of  Catherine  Trelane, 
who  then  stood  to  Livingstone  for  Truth  itself. 

It  was  during  a  Christmas-holiday  visit  to 
her  brother  that  Livingstone  had  first  met 
[82] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Catherine  Trelane;  as  he  now  saw  himself 
meet  her.  He  had  come  on  her  suddenly  in 
a  long  avenue.  Her  arms  were  full  of  holly- 
boughs;  her  face  was  rosy  from  a  victorious 
tramp  through  the  snow,  rosier  at  the  hoped- 
for,  unexpected,  chance  meeting  with  her 
brother's  guest ;  a  sprig  of  mistletoe  was  stuck 
daringly  in  her  hood,  guarded  by  her  mis 
chievous,  laughing  eyes.  She  looked  like  a 
dryad  fresh  from  the  winter  woods.  For  years 
after  that  Livingstone  had  never  thought  of 
Christmas  without  being  conscious  of  a  cer 
tain  radiance  that  vision  shed  upon  the  time. 

The  next  day  in  the  holly-dressed  church 
she  seemed  a  saint  wrapt  in  divine  adoration. 

Another  shift  of  the  scene ;  another  Christ 
mas. 

Reverses  had  come.  His  father,  through  kind 
ness  and  generosity,  had  become  involved  be 
yond  his  means,  and,  rather  than  endure  the 
least  shadow  of  reproach,  gave  up  everything 
[83] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

he  possessed  to  save  his  name  and  shield  a 
friend.  Livingstone  himself  had  been  called 
away  from  college. 

He  remembered  the  sensation  of  it  all.  He 
recalled  the  picture  of  his  father  as  he  stood 
calm  and  unmoved  amid  the  v  reck  of  his  for 
tune  and  faced  unflinchingly  the  hard,  dark 
future.  It  was  an  inspiring  picture :  the  pic 
ture  of  a  gentleman,  far  past  the  age  when 
men  can  start  afresh  and  achieve  success, 
despoiled  by  another  and  stripped  of  all  he 
had  in  the  world,  yet  standing  upright  and 
tranquil;  a  just  man  walking  in  his  integrity; 
a  brave  man  facing  the  world;  firm  as  an  im 
movable  rock;  serene  as  an  unblemished 
morning. 

Livingstone  had  never  taken  in  before 
how  fine  it  was.  He  had  at  one  time  even 
felt  aggrieved  by  his  father's  act;  now  he  was 
suddenly  conscious  of  a  thrill  of  pride  in  him. 

If  he  were  only  living !  He  himself  was  now 
[84] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

worth  —  !  Suddenly  that  lantern-slide  shot  be 
fore  his  eyes  and  shut  out  the  noble  figure 
standing  there. 

Livingstone's  mind  reverted  to  his  own 
career. 

He  was  a  young  man  in  business ;  living  in 
a  cupboard  ;  his  salary  a  bare  pittance ;  yet 
he  was  rich  ;  he  had  hope  and  youth  ;  family 
and  friends.  Heavens !  how  rich  he  was  then ! 
It  made  the  man  in  the  chair  poor  now  to 
feel  how  rich  he  had  been  then  and  had 
not  known  it.  He  looked  back  at  himself 
with  a  kind  of  envy,  strange  to  him,  which 
gave  him  a  pain. 

He  saw  himself  again  at  Christmas.  He 
was  back  at  the  little  home  which  his  father 
had  taken  when  he  lost  the  old  place.  He 
saw  himself  unpacking  his  old  trunk,  taking 
out  from  it-  the  little  things  he  had  brought 
as  presents,  with  more  pride  than  he  had 
ever  felt  before,  for  he  had  earned  them  him- 
[85] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

self.  Each  one  represented  sacrifice,  thought, 
affection.  He  could  see  again  his  father's  face 
lit  up  with  pride  and  his  mother's  radiant  with 
delight  in  his  achievement.  His  mother  was 
handing  him  her  little  presents,  —  the  gloves 
she  had  knit  for  him  herself  with  so  much 
joy ;  the  shaving-case  she  had  herself  em 
broidered  ;  the  cup  and  saucer  from  the  old 
tea-service  that  had  belonged  to  his  great 
grandfather  and  great-grandmother  and  which 
had  been  given  his  mother  and  father  when 
they  were  married.  He  glanced  up  as  she 
laid  the  delicate  piece  of  Sevres  before  him, 
and  caught  her  smile  —  That  smile!  Was  there 
ever  another  like  it?  It  held  in  it — every 
thing. 

Suddenly  Livingstone  felt  something  moving 
on  his  cheek.  He  put  his  hand  up  to  his  face 
and  when  he  took  it  down  his  fingers  were  wet. 

With  his  mother's  face,  another  face  came 
to  him,  radiant  with  the  beauty  of  youth. 
[86] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Catherine  Trelane,  since  that  meeting  in  the 
long  avenue,  had  grown  more  and  more  to 
him,  until  all  other  motives  and  aims  had 
been  merged  in  one  radiant  hope. 

With  his  love  he  had  grown  timid ;  he 
scarcely  dared  look  into  her  eyes ;  yet  now 
he  braved  the  world  for  her ;  bore  for  her  all 
the  privations  and  hardships  of  life  in  its  first 
struggle.  Indeed,  for  her,  privation  was  no 
hardship.  He  was  poor  in  purse,  but  rich  in 
hope.  Love  lit  up  his  life  and  touched  the 
dull  routine  of  his  work  with  the  light  of  en 
chantment.  If  she  made  him  timid  before  her, 
she  made  him  bold  towards  the  rest  of  the 
world.  'T  was  for  her  that  he  had  had  the 
courage  to  take  that  plunge  into  the  boiling 
sea  of  life  in  an  unknown  city,  and  it  was  for 
her  that  he  had  had  strength  to  keep  above 
water,  where  so  many  had  gone  down. 

He  had  faced  all  for  her  and  had  conquered 
all  for  her.  He  recalled  the  long  struggle,  the 
[87] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

painful,  patient  waiting,  the  stern  self-denial. 
He  had  deliberately  chosen  between  pleasure 
and  success,  —  between  the  present  and  the 
future.  He  had  denied  himself  to  achieve  his 
fortune,  and  he  had  succeeded. 

At  first,  it  had  been  for  her ;  then  Success 
had  become  dear  to  him  for  itself,  had  ever 
grown  larger  and  dearer  as  he  advanced,  until 
now —  A  thrill  of  pride  ran  through  him, 
which  changed  into  a  shiver  as  it  brought 
those  accursed,  staring,  ghastly  figures  straight 
before  his  eyes. 

He  had  great  trouble  to  drive  the  figures 
away.  It  was  only  when  he  thought  fixedly  of 
Catherine  Trelane  as  she  used  to  be  that 
they  disappeared.  She  was  a  vision  then  to 
banish  all  else.  He  had  a  picture  of  her  some 
where  among  his  papers.  He  had  not  seen  it 
for  years,  but  no  picture  could  do  her  justice: 
as  rich  as  was  her  coloring,  as  beautiful  as 
were  her  eyes,  her  mouth,  her  riante  face,  her 
[88  ] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

slim,  willowy,  girlish  figure  and  fine  carriage, 
it  was  not  these  that  came  to  him  when  he 
thought  of  her ;  it  was  rather  the  spirit  of 
which  these  were  but  the  golden  shell :  it  was 
the  smile,  the  music,  the  sunshine,  the  radiance 
which  came  to  him  and  warmed  his  blood  and 
set  his  pulses  throbbing  across  all  those  years. 
He  would  get  the  picture  and  look  at  it. 

But  memory  swept  him  on. 

He  had  got  in  the  tide  of  success  and  the 
current  had  borne  him  away.  First  it  had  been 
the  necessity  to  succeed ;  then  ambition  ;  then 
opportunity  to  do  better  and  better  always 
taking  firmer  hold  of  him  and  bearing  him 
further  and  further  until  the  pressure  of  busi 
ness,  change  of  ambition  and,  at  last,  of  ideals 
swept  him  beyond  sight  of  all  he  had  known 
or  cared  for. 

He  could  almost  see  the  process  of  the 
metamorphosis.  Year  after  year  he  had  waited 
and  worked  and  Catherine Trelane  had  waited  ; 
[  89] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

then  had  come  a  time  when  he  did  not  wish 
her  to  wait  longer.  His  ideals  had  changed. 
Success  had  come  to  mean  but  one  thing  for 
him :  gold  ;  he  no  longer  strove  for  honors  but 
for  riches.  He  abandoned  the  thought  of  glory 
and  of  power,  of  which  he  had  once  dreamed. 
Now  he  wanted  gold.  Beauty  would  fade,  cul 
ture  prove  futile ;  but  gold  was  king,  and  all 
he  saw  bowed  before  it.  Why  marry  a  poor 
girl  when  another  had  wealth  ? 

He  found  a  girl  as  handsome  as  Catherine 
Trelane.  It  was  not  a  chapter  in  his  history 
in  which  he  took  much  pride.  Just  when  he 
thought  he  had  succeeded,  her  father  had  in 
terposed  and  she  had  yielded  easily.  She  had 
married  a  fool  with  ten  times  Livingstone's 
wealth.  It  was  a  blow  to  Livingstone,  but  he 
had  recovered,  and  after  that  he  had  a  new  in 
centive  in  life  ;  he  would  be  richer  than  her 
father  or  her  husband. 

He  had  become  so  and  had  bought  his  house 
[90] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

partly  to  testify  to  the  fact.  Then  he  had  gone 
back  to  Catherine  Trelane.  She  had  come  un 
expectedly  into  property.  He  had  not  dared 
quite  to  face  her,  but  had  written  to  her,  ask 
ing  her  to  marry  him.  He  had  her  reply  some 
where  now ;  it  had  cut  deeper  than  she  ever 
knew  or  would  know.  She  wrote  that  the  time 
had  been  when  she  might  have  married  him 
even  had  he  asked  her  by  letter,,  but  it  was 
too  late  now.  The  man  she  might  have  loved 
was  dead.  He  had  gone  to  see  her  then,  but 
had  found  what  she  said  was  true.  She  was 
more  beautiful  than  when  he  had  last  seen 
her — so  beautiful  that  the  charm  of  her  ma 
turity  had  almost  eclipsed  in  his  mind  the 
memory  of  her  girlish  loveliness.  But  she  wras 
inexorable.  He  had  not  blamed  her,  he  had 
only  cursed  himself,  and  had  plunged  once 
more  into  the  boiling  current  of  the  struggle 
for  wealth.  And  he  had  won — yes,  won! 

With  a  shock  those   figures  slipped  before 
[91  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

his  eyes  and  would  not  go  away.  Even  when 
he  shut  his  eyes  and  rubbed  them  the  ghastly 
line  was  there. 

He  turned  and  gazed  down  the  long  room. 
It  was  as  empty  as  a  desert.  He  listened  to 
see  if  he  could  hear  any  sound,  even  hoping 
to  hear  some  sound  from  his  servants.  All  was 
as  silent  as  a  tomb. 

He  rubbed  his  eyes,  with  a  groan  that  was 
almost  a  curse.  The  figures  were  still  there. 

He  suddenly  rose  to  his  feet  and  gave  him 
self  a  shake.  He  determined  to  go  to  his  club ; 
he  would  find  company  there, — perhaps  not 
the  best,  but  it  would  be  better  than  this 
awful  loneliness  and  deadly  silence. 

He  went  through  the  hall  softly,  almost 
stealthily ;  put  on  his  hat  and  coat ;  let  him 
self  quietly  out  of  the  door  and  stepped  forth 
into  the  night. 

It  had  stopped  snowing  and  the  stars  looked 
down  from  a  clearing  sky.  The  moon  just 
[93] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

above  the  housetops  was  sailing  along  a  burn 
ished  track.  The  vehicles  went  slowly  by  with 
a  muffled  sound  broken  only  by  the  creaking 
of  the  wheels  in  the  frosty  night.  From  the 
cross  streets,  sounded  in  the  distance  the  jan 
gle  of  sleigh-bells. 


CHAPTER     IX 

EINGSTONE  plodded  along  through 
the  snow,  relieved  to  find  that  the 
effort  made  him  forget  himself  and 
banished  those  wretched  figures.  He  traversed 
the  intervening  streets  and  before  he  was 
conscious  of  it  was  standing  in  the  hall  of 
the  brilliantly  lighted  club.  The  lights  dazzled 
him,  and  he  was  only  half  sensible  of  the  score 
of  servants  that  surrounded  him  with  vague, 
half-proffers  of  aid  in  removing  his  over 
coat. 

Without  taking  off  his  coat,  Livingstone 
walked  on  into  the  large  assembly-room  to 
see  who  might  be  there.  It  was  as  empty  as 
a  church.  The  lights  were  all  turned  on  full 
and  the  fires  burned  brightly  in  the  big 
hearths ;  but  there  was  not  a  soul  in  the 
room,  usually  so  crowded  at  this  hour. 

Livingstone  turned  and  crossed  the  marble- 
[94] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

paved  hall  to  another  spacious  suite  of  rooms. 
Not  a  soul  was  there.  The  rooms  were  swept 
and  garnished,  the  silence  and  loneliness  seem 
ing  only  intensified  by  the  brilliant  light  and 
empty  magnificence. 

Livingstone  felt  like  a  man  in  a  dream  from 
which  he  could  not  awake.  He  turned  and 
made  his  way  back  to  the  outer  door.  As  he 
did  so  he  caught  sight  of  a  single  figure  at 
the  far  end  of  one  of  the  big  rooms.  It  looked 
like  Wright,, — the  husband  of  Mrs.  Wright  to 
whom  Livingstone  had  sent  his  charity-sub 
scription  a  few  hours  before.  He  had  on  his 
overcoat  and  must  have  just  come  in.  He  was 
standing  by  the  great  fire-place  rubbing  his 
hands  with  satisfaction.  As  Livingstone  turned 
away,  he  thought  he  heard  his  name  called, 
but  he  dashed  out  into  the  night.  He  could 
not  stand  Wright  just  then. 

He  plunged  back  through  the  snow  and  once 
more  let  himself  in  at  his  own  door.  It  was 
[95] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

lonelier  within  than  before.  The  hall  was 
ghastly.  The  big  rooms,  bigger  than  they  had 
ever  seemed,  were  like  a  desert.  It  was  intol 
erable  !  He  would  go  to  bed. 

He  slowly  climbed  the  stairs.  The  great  clock 
on  the  landing  stared  at  him  as  he  passed  and 
in  deep  tones  tolled  the  hour — of  ten.  It  was 
impossible !  Livingstone  knew  it  must  have 
been  hours  since  he  left  his  office.  To  him  it 
seemed  months,  years;  —  but  his  own  watch 
marked  the  same  hour. 

As  he  entered  his  bedroom,  two  pictures 
hanging  on  the  wall  caught  his  eye.  They 
were  portraits  of  a  gentleman  and  a  lady. 
Any  one  would  have  known  at  a  glance  that 
they  were  Livingstone's  father  and  mother. 
They  had  hung  there  since  Livingstone  built 
his  house,  but  he  had  not  thought  of  them  in 
years.  Perhaps,  that  was  whv  they  were  still 
there. 

They    were    early    works    of  one    who    had 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

since  become  a  master.  Livingstone  remem 
bered  the  day  his  father  had  given  the  order 
to  the  young  artist. 

"Why  do  you  do  that?"  some  one  had 
asked.  "  He  perhaps  has  parts,  but  he  is  a 
young  man  and  wholly  unknown." 

"That  is  the  very  reason  I  do  it/'  had  said 
his  father.  "  Those  who  are  known  need  no 
assistance.  Help  young  men,  for  thereby  some 
have  helped  angels  unawares." 

It  had  come  true.  The  unknown  artist  had 
become  famous,  and  these  early  portraits  were 
now  worth — no,  not  those  figures  which  sud 
denly  gleamed  before  Livingstone's  eyes!  — 

Livingstone  remembered  the  letter  that  the 
artist  had  written  his  father,  tendering  him 
aid  when  he  learned  of  his  father's  reverses 
—he  had  said  he  owed  .his  life  to  him — and 
his  father's  reply,  that  he  needed  no  aid,  and 
it  was  sufficient  recompense  to  know  that 
one  he  had  helped  remembered  a  friend. 
[97] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone  walked  up  and  scanned  the 
portrait  nearest  him.  He  had  not  really  looked 
at  it  in  years.  He  had  had  no  idea  how  fine 
it  was.  How  well  it  portrayed  him  !  There  was 
the  same  calm  forehead,  noble  in  its  breadth  ; 
the  same  deep,  serene,  blue  eyes;  —  the  artist 
had  caught  their  kindly  expression ;  —  the 
same  gentle  mouth  with  its  pleasant  humor 
lurking  at  the  corners;  —  the  artist  had  almost 
put  upon  the  canvas  the  mobile  play  of  the 
lips;  —  the  same  finely  cut  chin  with  its  well 
marked  cleft.  It  was  the  very  man. 

Livingstone  had  had  no  idea  how  hand 
some  a  man  his  father  was.  He  remembered 
Henry  Trelane  saying  he  wished  he  wrere  an 
artist  to  paint  his  father,  but  that  only  Van 
Dyck  could  have  made  him  as  distinguished 
as  he  was. 

He  turned  to  the  portrait  of  his  mother.  It 
was  a  beautiful  face  and  a  gracious.  He  re 
membered  that  every  one  except  his  father 
[98] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

had  said  it  was  a  fine  portrait,  but  his  father 
had  said  it  was,  "  only  a  fine  picture  ;  no  por 
trait  of  her  could  be  fine." 

Moved  by  the  recollection,  Livingstone 
opened  a  drawer  and  took  from  a  box  the 
daguerreotype  of  a  boy.  He  held  it  in  his  hand 
and  looked  first  at  it  and  then  at  the  portraits 
on  the  wall.  Yes,  it  was  distinctly  like  both. 
He  remembered  it  used  to  be  said  that  he  was 
like  his  father;  but  his  father  had  always  said 
he  was  like  his  mother.  He  could  now  see  the 
resemblance.  There  were,  even  in  the  round, 
unformed,  boyish  face,  the  same  wide  open 
eyes ;  the  same  expression  of  the  mouth,  as 
though  a  smile  were  close  at  hand ;  the  same 
smooth,  placid  brow.  His  chin  was  a  little 
bolder  than  his  father's.  Livingstone  was 
pleased  to  note  it. 

He  determined  to  have  his  portrait  painted 
by  the  best  painter  he  could  find.  He  would 
not  consider  the  cost.  Why  should  he  ?  He 
[99] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

was  worth — at  the  thought  the  seven  gleam 
ing  figures  flashed  out  clear  between  his  eyes 
and  the  portrait  in  his  hand. 

Livingstone  turned  suddenly  and  faced  him 
self  in  the  full  length  mirror  at  his  side.  The 
light  caught  him  exactly  and  he  stood  and 
looked  himself  full  in  the  face.  What  he  saw 
horrified  him.  He  felt  his  heart  sink  and  saw 
the  pallor  settle  deeper  over  his  face.  His  hair 
was  almost  white.  He  was  wrinkled.  His  eyes 
were  small  and  sharp  and  cold.  His  mouth  was 
drawn  and  hard.  His  cheeks  were  seamed 
and  set  like  flint.  He  was  a  hard,  wan,  ugly 
old  man  ;  and  as  he  gazed,  unexpectedly  in 
the  mirror  before  his  eyes,  flashed  those  cursed 
figures. 

With  almost  a  cry  Livingstone  turned  and 
looked  at  the  portraits  on  the  wall.  He  half 
feared  the  sharp  figures  would  appear  branded 
across  those  faces.  But  no,  thank  God  !  the  fig 
ures  had  disappeared.  The  two  faces  beamed 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

down  on  him  sweet  and  serene  and  comforting 
as  heaven. 

Under  an  impulse  of  relief  Livingstone  flung 
himself  face  downward  on  the  bed  and  slipped 
to  his  knees.  The  position  and  the  association 
it  brought  fetched  to  his  lips  words  which  he 
used  to  utter  in  that  presence  long  years  ago. 

It  had  been  long  since  Livingstone  had 
prayed.  He  attended  church,  but  if  he  had 
any  heart  it  had  not  been  there.  Now  this 
prayer  came  instinctively.  It  was  simple  and 
childish  enough :  the  words  that  he  had  been 
taught  at  his  mother's  knee.  He  hardly  knew 
he  had  said  them ;  yet  they  soothed  him  and 
gave  him  comfort ;  and  from  some  far-off 
time  came  the  saying,  "  Except  ye  become  as  lit 
tle  children,  ye  shall  not  enter —  "  and  he  went 
on  repeating  the  words. 

Another  verse  drifted  into  his  mind :  "  And 
he  took  a  child  and  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them, 
and  said,  *  *  *  Whosoever  shall  humble  him- 


S  A  Nyr  A  C'L  A  U  S'S  PAR  T  N  E  R 
self  as  this  little  child,  the  same  is  greatest.  And 
whoso  shall  receive  one  such  little  child  in  my 
name  receiveth  me.  But  whoso  shall  offend  one 
of  these  little  ones  which  believe  in  me,  it  were 
better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged  about 
his  neck,  and  that  he  were  drowned  in  the  depth 
of  the  sea." 

The  events  of  the  evening  rose  up  before 
Livingstone  — the  little  girl  in  her  red  jacket, 
with  her  tear-stained  face,  darting  a  look  of 
hate  at  him  ;  the  rosy-cheeked  boys  shouting 
with  glee  on  the  hillside,  stopped  in  the  midst 
of  their  fun,  and  changing  suddenly  to  yell 
their  cries  of  hate  at  him  ;  the  shivering  beg 
gar  asking  for  work,  —  for  but  five  cents,  which 
he  had  withheld  from  him. 

Livingstone  shuddered.  Had  he  done  these 
things  ?  Could  it  be  possible  ?  Into  his  memory 
came  from  somewhere  afar  off:  "Inasmuch  as 
ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

r  102 1 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

There  flashed  through  his  mind  the  thought, 
might  he  not  retrieve  himself  ?  Was  it  too  late  ? 
Could  he  not  do  something  for  some  one  ? — 
perhaps,  for  some  little  ones  ? 

It  was  like  a  flash  of  light  and  Livingstone 
was  conscious  of  a  thrill  of  joy  at  the  idea,  but 
it  faded  out  leaving  him  in  blanker  darkness 
than  before.  He  did  not  know  a  single  child. 
-  He  knew  in  a  vague,  impersonal  way  a 
number  of  children  whom  he  had  had  a  mo 
mentary  glimpse  of  occasionally  at  the  fashion 
able  houses  which  he  visited ;  but  he  knew 
them  only  as  he  w^ould  have  known  hand 
somely  dressed  dolls  in  show  windows.  He 
had  never  thought  of  them  as  children,  but 
only  as  a  part  of  the  personal  belongings  of 
his  acquaintances — much  as  he  thought  of 
their  bric-a-brac  or  their  poodles.  They  were 
not  like  the  children  he  had  once  known.  He 
had  never  seen  them  romp  and  play  or  heard 
them  laugh  or  shout. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

He  was  sunk  in  deep  darkness. 

In  his  gloom  he  glanced  up.  His  father's 
serene  face  was  beaming  down  on  him.  A 
speech  he  had  heard  his  father  make  long, 
long  ago,  came  back  to  him:  "Always  be 
kind  to  children.  Grown  people  may  forget 
kindness,  but  children  will  remember  it.  They 
forgive,  but  never  forget  either  a  kindness  or 
an  injury." 

Another  speech  of  his  father's  came  float 
ing  to  Livingstone  across  the  years:  "If  you 
have  made  an  enemy  of  a  child,  make  him 
your  friend  if  it  takes  a  year !  A  child's  en 
mity  is  never  incurred  except  by  injustice  or 
meanness." 

Livingstone  could  not  but  think  of  Clark's 
little  girl.  Might  she  not  help  him  ?  She  would 
know  children.  But  would  she  help  him  ? 

If  she  were  like  Clark,  he  reasoned,  she 
would  be  kind-hearted.  Besides,  he  remem 
bered  to  have  heard  his  father  say  that  chil- 
[  10*] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

dren  did  not  bear  malice :  that  was  a  growth 
of  older  minds.  It  was  strange  for  Livingstone 
to  find  himself  recurring  to  his  father  for 
knowledge  of  human  nature  —  his  father 
whom  he  had  always  considered  the  most  ig 
norant  of  men  as  to  knowledge  of  the  world. 

He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  looked  at  his 
watch.  Perhaps,  it  was  not  yet  too  late  to  see 
the  little  girl  to-night  if  he  hurried  ?  Clark 
lived  not  very  far  off,,  in  a  little  side  street,  and 
they  would  sit  up  late  Christmas  Eve. 

As  he  turned  to  the  mirror  it  was  with  tre 
pidation,  his  last  glance  at  it  had  been  so 
dreadful ;  but  he  was  relieved  to  find  a  plea- 
santer  expression  on  his  face.  He  almost  saw  a 
slight  resemblance  to  his  father. 

The  next  moment  he  hurried  from  the  room  ; 
stole  down  the  stair ;  slipped  on  his  overcoat, 
and  hastily  let  himself  out  of  the  door. 


CHAPTER     X 

IT  was  quite  clear  out  now  and  the  moon 
was  riding  high   in   a  cloudless  heaven. 
The  jingle  of  sleigh-bells  had  increased 
and   just   as    Livingstone    turned    the    corner 
a  sleigh  dashed  past  him.  He  heard  the  merry 
voices  of  young  people,  and  amid  the  voices 
the    ringing   laughter   of  a   young  girl,   clear 
as  a  silver  bell. 

Livingstone  stopped  short  in  his  tracks  and 
listened.  He  had  not  heard  anything  so  musi 
cal  in  years  —  he  had  not  heard  a  young  girl's 
laughter  in  years — he  had  not  had  time  to 
think  of  such  things.  It  brought  back  across 
the  snow-covered  fields — across  the  snow-cov 
ered  years — a  Christinas  of  long  ago  when  he 
had  heard  a  young  girl's  musical  laughter 
like  a  silvery  chime,  and,  standing  there  in 
the  snow-covered  street,  for  one  moment  Liv 
ingstone  was  young  again  —  no  longer  a  gray- 
[  106  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

haired  man  in  the  city;  but  a  young  man  in 
the  country,  somewhere  under  great  arching 
boughs;  face  to  face  with  one  who  was  also 
young ; — and,  looking  out  from  a  hood  that 
surrounded  it  like  a  halo,  a  girlish  face  flashed 
on  him:  cheeks  like  roses,  brilliant  with  the 
frosty  air;  roguish  eyes,  now  dancing,  now 
melting;  a  laughing  mouth  from  which  came 
such  rippling  music  that  there  was  no  simile 
for  it  in  all  the  realm  of  silvery  sound,  the 
enchanting  music  of  the  joy  of  youth. 

With  a  cry,  Livingstone  sprang  forward 
with  outstretched,  eager  hands  to  catch  the 
vision ;  but  his  arms  enclosed  only  vacancy 
and  he  stood  alone  in  the  empty  street. 

A  large  sleigh  came  by  and  Livingstone 
hailed  it.  It  was  a  livery  vehicle  and  the  driver 
having  just  put  down  at  their  homes  a  party 
of  pleasure-seekers  was  on  his  way  back  to 
his  stable.  He  agreed  with  Livingstone  to 
take  him  to  his  destination  and  wait  for  him, 
[  107] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

and  Livingstone,  giving  him  a  number,  sprang 
in  and  ordered  him  to  drive  rapidly. 

The  sleigh  stopped  in  front  of  a  little  house, 
in  a  narrow  street  filled  with  little  houses,  and 
Livingstone  getting  out  mounted  the  small 
flight  of  steps.  Inside,  pandemonium  seemed 
to  have  broken  loose  somewhere  up-stairs, 
such  running  and  shouting  and  shrieks  of 
joyous  laughter  Livingstone  heard.  Then,  as  he 
could  not  find  the  bell,  Livingstone  knocked. 

At  the  sound  the  noise  suddenly  ceased, 
but  the  next  moment  it  burst  forth  again 
louder  than  before.  This  time  the  shouts 
came  rolling  down  the  stairs  and  towards  the 
door,  with  a  scamper  of  little  feet  and  shrieks 
of  childish  delight.  They  were  interrupted  and 
restrained  by  a  quiet,  kindly  voice  which 
Livingstone  recognized  as  Clark's.  The  father 
was  trying  to  keep  the  children  back. 

It  might  be  Santa  Claus  himself,  Living 
stone  heard  him  urge,  and  if  they  did  not 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

go  back  to  bed  immediately,  or  into  the  back 
room, — or  even  if  they  peeped,  Santa  Claus 
might  jump  into  his  sleigh  and  drive  away 
and  leave  nobody  at  the  door  but  a  gro 
cer's  boy  with  a  parcel.  This  direful  threat  had 
its  effect.  The  gleeful  squeals  were  hushed 
down  into  subdued  and  half-awed  murmurs 
and  after  a  little  a  single  footstep  came  along 
the  passage  and  the  front  door  was  opened 
cautiously. 

At  sight  of  Livingstone,  Clark  started,  and 
by  the  light  of  the  lamp  the  caller  could  see 
his  face  pale  a  little.  He  asked  Livingstone 
in  with  a  voice  that  almost  faltered.  Leaving 
Livingstone  in  the  little  passage  for  a  moment 
Clark  entered  the  first  room — the  front  room 
— and  Livingstone  could  hear  him  sending 
the  occupants  into  a  rear  room.  He  heard  the 
communicating  door  close  softly.  Every  sound 
was  suddenly  hushed.  It  was  like  the  sudden 
hush  of  birds  wrhen  a  hawk  appears.  Living- 
[  109  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

stone  thought  of  it  and  a  pang  shot  through 
him.  Then  the  door  was  opened  and  Clark 
somewhat  stiffly  invited  Livingstone  in. 

The  room  was  a  small  front  parlor. 

The  furniture  was  old  and  worn,  but  it 
was  not  mean.  A  few  old  pieces  gave  the 
room,  small  as  it  was,  almost  an  air  of  dis 
tinction.  Several  old  prints  hung  on  the  walls, 
a  couple  of  portraits  in  pink  crayon,  such  as 
St.  Mimin  used  to  paint,  and  a  few  photo 
graphs  in  frames,  most  of  them  of  children, — 
but  among  them  one  of  Livingstone  himself. 

All  this  Livingstone  took  in  as  he  en 
tered.  The  room  was  in  a  state  of  confusion, 
and  a  lounge  on  one  side,  with  its  pillows  still 
bearing  the  imprint  of  an  occupant,  showed 
that  the  house  held  an  invalid.  In  one  cor 
ner  a  Christmas-tree,  half  dressed,  explained 
the  litter.  It  was  not  a  very  large  tree ;  cer 
tainly  it  was  not  very  richly  dressed.  The 
things  that  hung  on  it  were  very  simple. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Many  of  them  evidently  were  of  home-manu 
facture —  knots  of  ribbon,  little  garments,  sec 
ond-hand  books,  even  home-made  toys. 

A  small  pile  of  similar  articles  lay  on  the 
floor,  where  they  had  been  placed  ready  for 
service  and  had  been  left  by  the  tree-dressers 
on  their  hasty  departure. 

Clark's  eye  followed  instinctively  that  of 
the  visitor. 

"My  wife  has  been  dressing  a  tree  for  the 
children,"  he  said  simply. 

He  faced  Livingstone  and  offered  him  a 
chair.  He  stiffened  as  he  did  so.  He  \vas  evi 
dently  prepared  for  the  worst. 

Livingstone  sat  down.  It  was  an  awkward 
moment.  Livingstone  broke  the  ice. 

"  Mr.  Clark,  I  have  come  to  ask  you  a  favor 
— a  great  favor — 

Clark's  eyes  opened  wide  and  his  lips  even 
parted  slightly  in  his  astonishment. 

"  —  I  want  you  to  lend  me  your  little  girl  — 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

the  little  girl  I  saw  in  the  office  this  afternoon." 

Clark's  expression  was  so  puzzled  that  Liv 
ingstone  thought  he  had  not  understood  him. 

" '  The  Princess  with  the  Golden  Locks/  " 
he  explained. 

"  Mr.  Livingstone  !  —  I  —  I  don't  under 
stand."  He  looked  dazed. 

Livingstone  broke  out  suddenly :  "  Clark,  I 
have  been  a  brute,  a  cursed  brute !  " 

"Oh!  Mr.  Liv— !" 

With  a  gesture  of  sharp  dissent  Livingstone 
cut  him  short. 

"It  is  no  use  to  deny  it,  Clark,  —  I  have  —  I 
have !  —  I  have  been  a  brute  for  years  and  I 
have  just  awakened  to  the  fact !  "  He  spoke 
in  bitter,  impatient  accusation.  "  I  have  been 
a  brute  for  years  and  I  have  just  realized  it." 

The  face  of  the  other  had  softened. 

"  Oh,  no,   Mr.    Livingstone,   not   that.   You 
have  always  been  just — and — just;"  he  pro 
tested  kindly.  "You  have  always  — 
[112] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

—  "Been  a  brute/'  insisted  Livingstone,  "a 
blind,  cursed,  selfish,  thoughtless  — 

"You  are  not  well,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  urged 
Clark,  looking  greatly  disturbed.  "Your  ser 
vant,  James,  said  you  were  not  well  this  even 
ing  when  I  called.  I  wanted  to  go  in  to  see 
you,  but  he  would  not  permit  me.  He  said  that 
you  had  given  positive  orders  that  you  would 
not  see — 

"  I  was  not  well,"  assented  Livingstone.  "  I 
was  suffering  from  blindness.  But  I  am  better, 
Clark,  better.  I  can  see  now — a  little." 

He   controlled   himself  and    spoke   quietly. 
"  I  want  you  to  lend  me  your  little  girl  for — 
He  broke  off  suddenly.  "  How  many  children 
have  you,  Clark  ?  "  he  asked,  gently. 

"  Eight,"  said  the  old  clerk.  "  But  I  have  n't 
one  I  could  spare,  Mr.  Livingstone." 

"Only  for  a  little  while,  Clark?"  urged  the 
other;  "only  for  a  little  while. — Wait,  and  let 
me  tell  you  what  I  want  with  her  and  why  1 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

want  her,  and  you  will  —  For  a  little  while?" 
he  pleaded. 

He  started  and  told  his  story  and  Clark  sat 
and  listened,  at  first  with  a  set  face,  then  with 
a  wondering  face,  and  then  with  a  face  deeply 
moved,  as  Livingstone,  under  his  wanning 
sympathy,  opened  his  heart  to  him  as  a 
dying  man  might  to  his  last  confessor. 

"  —  And  now  will  you  lend  her  to  me, 
Clark,  for  just  a  little  while  to-night  and 
to-morrow?"  he  pleaded  in  conclusion. 

Clark  rose  to  his  feet.  "  I  will  see  what  I 
can  do  with  her,  Mr.  Livingstone,"  he  said, 
gravely.  "  She  is  not  very  friendly  to  you,  I 
am  sorry  to  say — I  don't  know  why." 

Livingstone  thought  he  knew. 

"  Of  course,  you  would  not  want  me  to 
compel  her  to  go  with  you  ? " 

"  Of  course  not,"  said  Livingstone. 


CHAPTER     XI 


I 


father  went  out  by  the  door 
that  opened  into  the  passage,  and 
the  next  moment  Livingstone  could 
hear  him  in  deep  conference  in  the  adjoining 
room ;  at  first  with  his  wife,  and  then  with  the 
little  girl  herself. 

The  door  did  not  fit  very  closely  and  the 
partition  was  thin,  so  that  Livingstone  could 
not  help  hearing  what  was  said,  and  even 
when  he  could  shut  out  the  words  he  could 
not  help  knowing  from  the  tones  wrhat  was 
going  on. 

The  mother  was  readily  won  over,  but 
when  the  little  girl  was  consulted  she  flatly 
refused.  Her  father  undertook  to  coax  her. 

To  Livingstone's  surprise  the  argument 
he  used  was  not  that  Livingstone  was  rich, 
but  that  he  wras  so  poor  and  lonely ;  not  well 
off  and  happy  like  him,  with  a  house  full 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

of  little  children  to  love  him  and  make 
him  happy  and  give  him  a  merry  Christ 
mas. 

The  point  of  view  was  new  to  Livingstone  — 
at  least,  it  was  recent ;  but  he  recognized  its 
force  and  listened  hopefully.  The  child's  reply 
dashed  his  hopes. 

"But,  papa,  I  hate  him  so  —  I  just  hate 
him !  "  she  declared,  earnestly.  "  I  'm  glad  he 
hasn't  any  little  children  to  love  him.  When 
he  wouldn't  let  you  come  home  to  us  this 
evening,  I  just  prayed  so  hard  to  God  not  to 
let  him  have  any  home  and  not  to  let  him 
have  any  Christmas  —  not  ever!" 

The  eager  little  voice  had  risen  in  the 
child's  earnestness  and  it  pierced  through 
the  door  and  struck  Livingstone  like  an  ar 
row.  There  came  back  to  him  that  sentence, 
"  Whoso  qffendeth  one  of  these  little  ones,  it 
were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged 
about  his  neck — ." 

[  "6] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone  fairly  shivered,  but  he  had  able 
defenders. 

"Oh,  Kitty!"  exclaimed  both  her  father 
and  mother,  aghast  at  the  child's  bitterness. 

They  next  tried  the  argument  that  Living 
stone  had  been  so  kind  to  the  father.  He  had 
"given  him  last  year  fifty  dollars  besides  his 
salary." 

Livingstone  was  not  surprised  that  this 
argument  did  not  prove  as  availing  with  the 
child  as  the  parents  appeared  to  expect. — 
Fifty  dollars !  He  hated  himself  for  it.  He 
felt  that  he  would  give  fifty  thousand  to  drop 
that  millstone  from  his  neck. 

They  next  tried  the  argument  that  Living 
stone  wanted  to  have  a  Christmas-tree  for 
poor  children  and  needed  her  help.  He 
wanted  her  to  go  with  him  to  a  toy-shop. 
He  did  not  know  what  to  get  and  wished 
her  to  tell  him.  He  had  his  sleigh  to  take  her. 

This  seemed  to  strike  one  of  the  other 
[117] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

members  of  the  family,  for  suddenly  a  boy's 
eager  voice  burst  in  : 

"  I  '11  go  with  him.  I  '11  go  with  him  in  a 
sleigh.  I  '11  go  to  the  toy-shop.  Maybe,  he  '11 
give  me  a  sled.  Papa,  mamma,  please  let  me 
go." 

This  offer,  however,  did  not  appear  to  meet 
all  the  requisites  of  the  occasion  and  Master 
Tom  was  speedily  suppressed  by  his  parents. 
Perhaps,  however,  his  offer  had  some  effect 
on  Kitty,  for  she  finally  assented  and  said 
she  would  go,  and  Livingstone  could  hear 
the  parents  getting  her  ready.  He  felt  like 
a  reprieved  prisoner. 

After  a  few  moments  Mr.  Clark  brought 
the  little  girl  in,  cloaked  and  hooded  and 
ready  to  go. 

When  Livingstone  faced  the  two  blue  eyes 
that  were  fastened  on  him  in  calm,  and,  by 
no  means,  wholly  approving  inspection,  he  felt 
like  a  deep-dyed  culprit.  Had  he  known  of 

r  "8  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

this  ordeal  in  advance  he  could  not  have 
faced  it,  but  as  it  was  he  must  now  carry  it 
through. 

What  he  did  was,  perhaps,  the  best  that 
any  one  could  have  done.  After  the  cool, 
little  handshake  she  vouchsafed  him,  Living 
stone,  finding  that  he  could  not  stand  the  scru 
tiny  of  those  quiet,  unblenching  eyes,  threw 
himself  on  the  child's  mercy. 

"  Kitty,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  I  did  you  this 
evening  a  great  wrong,  and  your  father  a  great 
wrong,  and  I  have  come  here  to  ask  you  to  for 
give  me.  —  I  have  been  working  so  hard  that 
I  did  not  know  it  was  Christmas,  and  I  inter 
fered  with  your  father's  Christmas — and  with 
your  Christmas ;  for  I  had  no  little  girls  to 
tell  me  how  near  Christmas  was.  And  now 
I  want  to  get  up  a  Christmas  for  some  poor 
children,  and  I  don't  know  how  to  do  it,  so 
I  have  come  to  ask  you  to  help  me.  I  want 
you  to  play  Santa  Claus  for  me,  and  we  will 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

find  the  toys,  and  then  we  will  find  the  chil 
dren.  I  have  a  great  big  sleigh,  and  we  will 
go  off  to  a  toy-shop,  and  presently  I  will 
bring  you  back  home  again." 

He  had  made  his  speech  much  longer  than 
he  had  intended,  because  he  saw  that  the 
child's  mind  was  working;  the  cumulative 
weight  of  the  sleigh-ride,  the  opportunity  to 
play  a  part  and  to  act  as  Santa  Claus  for  other 
children,  was  telling  on  her. 

When  he  ended,  Kitty  reflected  a  moment 
and  then  said  quietly,  "  All  right." 

Her  tone  was  not  very  enthusiastic,  but  it 
was  assent  and  Livingstone  felt  as  though  he 
had  just  been  redeemed. 

The  next  moment  the  child  turned  to  the 
door. 

Livingstone  rose  and  followed  her.  He  was 
amused  at  his  feeling  of  helplessness  and  de 
pendence.  She  was  suddenly  the  leader  and 
without  her  he  felt  lost. 

[   120  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

She  stepped  into  the  sleigh  and  he  followed 
her. 

"Where  shall  we  go  first  ?"  she  asked. 

This  was  a  poser  for  Livingstone.  All  the 
shops  of  which  he  knew  anything  were  closed 
long  ago. 

"Why,  I  think  I  will  let  you  select  the 
place,"  he  began,  simply  seeking  for  time. 

"What  do  you  want  to  get?"  she  asked 
calmly,  gazing  up  at  him. 

Livingstone  had  never  thought  for  a  second 
that  there  would  be  any  difficulty  about  this. 
He  was  hopelessly  in  the  dark.  Stocks,  "com 
mon"  or  "preferred,"  bonds  and  debentures, 
floated  through  his  mind.  Even  horses  or  pic 
tures  he  would  have  had  a  clear  opinion  on, 
but  in  this  field  he  was  lost.  He  had  never 
known,  or  cared  to  know,  what  children  liked. 

Suddenly  a  whole  new  realm  seemed  to 
open  before  him,  but  it  was  shrouded  in  dark 
ness.  And  that  little  figure  at  his  side  with 
[121] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

large,  sober,  searching  eyes  fixed  calmly  on 
him  was  quietly  demanding  his  knowledge 
and  waiting  for  his  answrer.  He  had  passed 
hundreds  of  windows  crowded  with  Christmas 
presents  that  very  evening  and  had  never 
looked  at  one.  He  had  passed  as  between 
blank  walls.  What  would  he  not  have  given 
now  for  but  the  least  memory  of  one 
glance ! 

But  the  eyes  were  waiting  and  he  must 
answer. 

"  Why  —  ah — you  know, — ah  —  toys  ! ' ' 

It  was  an  inspiration  and  Livingstone  shook 
himself  with  self-approval. 

"Yes — ah — TOYS!  you  know?"  he  repeated. 

He  glowed  with  satisfaction  over  his  escape. 

The  announcement,  however,  did  not  ap 
pear  to  astonish  his  companion  as  much  as  he 
felt  it  should  have  done.  She  did  not  even 
take  her  eyes  from  his  face. 

"How  many  children  are  there?" 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Why — twenty."  Livingston  caught  at  a 
number,  as  a  sinking  man  catches  at  a  twig. 

As  she  accepted  this,  Livingstone  was  con 
scious  of  elation.  He  felt  as  though  he  were 
playing  a  game  and  had  escaped  the  ignominy 
of  a  wrong  answer:  he  had  caught  a  bough 
and  it  held  him. 

"How  old  are  they  ?" 

Livingstone  gasped.  The  little  ogress!  Was 
she  just  trifling  with  him  ?  Could  it  be  pos 
sible  that  she  saw  through  him  ?  As  he  looked 
down  at  her  the  eyes  fastened  on  him  were 
as  calm  as  a  dove's  eyes. 

"Why — ah — .  How  many  brothers  and  sis 
ters  have  you  ?"  he  asked. 

He  wished  to  create  a  diversion  and  gain 
time.  She  answered  promptly. 

"Seven:  four  sisters  and  three  brothers. 
John,  he  's  my  oldest  brother  ;  Tom,  he  's  next 
—he's  eight.  Billy  is  the  baby." 

This    contribution    of  family    history    was  a 

r  123 1 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

relief,  and  Livingstone  was  just  trying  to 
think  of  something  else  to  say,  when  she  de 
manded  again, 

"What  are  the  ages  of  your  children  ?" 

"I  have  no  children,"  said  Livingstone, 
thinking  how  clever  he  was  to  be  so  ready 
with  an  answer. 

"I  know. — But  I  mean  the  children  you 
want  the  toys  for?" 

Livingstone  felt  for  his  handkerchief.  The 
perspiration  was  beginning  to  come  on  his 
brow. 

"Why, — ah  —  the  same  ages  as  your  bro 
thers  and  sisters  — about,"  he  said  desperately, 
feeling  that  he  was  at  the  end  of  his  re 
sources  and  would  be  discovered  by  the  next 
question. 

"We  will  go  to  Brown's,"  said  the  child 
quietly,  and,  dropping  her  eyes,  she  settled 
herself  back  in  the  furs  as  though  the  pro 
blem  were  definitely  solved. 


HE  TOOK  THE  SHOPKEEPER  ASIDE  AND  HAD  A  LITTLE 
TALK  WITH  HIM. 


CHAPTER     XII 

E1NGSTONE  glanced  at  the  little  fig 
ure    beside    him,   hoping   she    would 
indicate  where  "  Brown's "   was,  but 
she  did  not.  Every  one  must  know  "Brown's." 

The  only  " Brown"  Livingstone  knew  was 
the  great  banker,  and  a  grim  smile  flick 
ered  on  his  cheek  at  the  thought  of  the  toys 
in  which  that  Brown  dealt.  He  shifted  the 
responsibility  to  the  driver. 

"Driver,  go  to  Brown's.  You  know  where  it 
is  ?" 

"Well,  no,  sir,  I  don't  believe  I  do.  Which 
Brown  do  you  mean,  sir  ?" 

"Why — ah  —  the  toy-man's,  of  course." 

The  driver  stopped  his  horses  and  reflected. 
He  shook  his  head  slowly.  Livingstone,  how 
ever,  was  now  equal  to  the  emergency.  Be 
sides,  there  was  nothing  else  to  do.  He  turned 
to  his  companion. 

[  125] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Where  is  it?"  he  began  boldly,  but  as  he 
saw  the  look  of  surprise  in  the  little  girl's  face 
he  added,  "I  mean  —  exactly?" 

"Why,  right  across  from  the  grocer's  with 
the  parrot  and  the  little  white  woolly  dog." 

She  spoke  with  astonishment  that  any  one 
should  not  know  so  important  a  personage. 
And  Livingstone,  too,  was  suddenly  conscious 
of  the  importance  of  this  information.  Clearly 
he  had  neglected  certain  valuable  branches  of 
knowledge. 

Happily,  the  driver  came  to  his  rescue. 

"Where  is  that,  Miss?"  he  asked. 

"You  go  to  the  right  and  keep  going  to  the 
right  all  the  way,"  she  said  definitely. 

Livingstone  was  in  despair ;  but  the  driver 
appeared  to  understand  now. 

"  You  tell  me  when  I  go  wrong,"  he  said, 
and  drove  on. 

He  must  have  children  at  home,  thought 
Livingstone  to  himself  as  the  sleigh  after  a 
[  126] 


SANTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

number  of  turns  drew  up  in  front  of  one  of 
the  very  windows  Livingstone  had  passed  that 
evening  on  the  back  street.  He  felt  as  though 
he  would  like  to  reward  the  driver.  It  was  the 
first  time  Livingstone  had  thought  of  a  driver 
in  many  years. 

Just  as  they  drove  up  the  door  of  the  shop 
was  being  closed,,  and  the  little  girl  gave  an 
exclamation  of  disappointment. 

"  Oh,  we  are  too  late  !  "  she  cried. 

Livingstone  felt  his  heart  jump  into  his 
throat.  He  sprang  to  the  door  and  rapped. 
There  was  no  answer.  The  light  was  evidently 
being  turned  off  inside.  Livingstone  rapped 
again  more  impatiently.  Another  light  was 
turned  down.  Livingstone  was  desperate.  His 
loud  knocking  produced  no  impression.,  and 
he  could  havt)  bought  out  the  whole  square ! 

Suddenly  a  little  figure  pushed  against  him 
as  Kitty  slipped  before  him,  and  putting  her 
mouth  to  the  crack  of  the  door,  called, 
[  127  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  Oh !  Mr.  Brown,  please  let  me  in.  It 's  me, 
Kitty  Clark,  Mr.  Clark's  little  girl." 

Instantly  the  light  within  was  turned  up. 
A  step  came  towards  the  door,  the  bolts 
were  drawn  back  and  half  the  door  was 
opened. 

Livingstone  was  prepared  to  see  the  shop 
keeper  confounded  when  he  should  discover 
who  his  caller  was.  On  the  contrary,  the  man 
was  in  nowise  embarrassed  by  his  appearance. 
Indeed,  he  paid  no  attention  whatever  to  Liv 
ingstone.  It  was  to  Kitty  that  he  addressed 
himself,  ignoring  Livingstone's  presence  ut 
terly. 

"  Why,  Kitty,  what  are  you  doing  out  at 
this  time  of  night  ?  Are  n't  you  afraid  Santa 
Claus  will  come  while  you  are  away,  and  not 
bring  you  anything  ?  You  know  what  they  say 
he  does  if  he  don't  find  everybody  asleep  in 
bed  ? " 

Kitty  nodded,  and  leaning  forward  on  her 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

toes,  dropped  her  voice  to  a  mysterious  whisper  : 

"  I  know  who  Santa  Claus  is."  The  whisper 
ended  with  a  little  chuckle  of  delight  at  her 
astuteness.  "  I  found  it  out  last  Christmas." 

"  Kitty,  you  did  n't !  You  must  have  been 
mistaken  ?  "  said  the  shopkeeper  with  a  grin 
on  his  kindly  countenance.  "  Who  is  he  ?" 

"Mr.  —  Brown,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  —  Clark/' 
said  Kitty  slowly  and  impressively,  as  though 
she  were  adding  up  figures  and  the  result 
would  speak  for  itself.  She  took  in  the  shop 
with  a  wave  of  her  little  hand  and  a  sweep 
of  her  eyes. 

"  I  'm  playing  Santa  Claus  myself,  to-night," 
she  said,  tossing  her  hooded  head,  her  eyes 
kindling  at  the  thought.  The  next  look  around 
was  one  of  business. 

"  This  is  Mr.  Livingstone,  papa's  employer." 
She  indicated  that  gentleman. 

Mr.  Brown  held  out  his  plump  and  not 
wholly  immaculate  hand. 

[  129] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  How  d'  ye  do,  sir  ?  I  think  I  fve  heard  of 
you  ?  " 

He  turned  back  to  Kitty. 

"Who  for?"  he  asked. 

"  For  him/'  Kitty  nodded.  "  He 's  got  a 
whole  lot  of  little  children  —  not  his  own  chil 
dren — other  people's  children  —  that  he's  go 
ing  to  give  Christmas  presents  to,  and  I  've 
come  to  help  him.  What  have  you  got  left, 
Mr.  Santa  Claus  ?  " 

She  stood  on  tiptoe  and  peered  over  the 
shelves. 

"  Well,  not  a  great  deal,  Miss  Wide-awake," 
said  the  shopkeeper  dropping  into  her  manner 
and  mood.  "  You  see  there  's  lots  of  children 
around  this  year  as  don't  keep  wide-awake  all 
night,  and  Santa  Claus  has  had  to  look  after 
'em  quite  considerable.  I  can't  tell  you  how 
many  sleighs  full  of  things  he 's  taken  away 
from  this  here  very  shop.  He  did  n't  leave 
nothing  but  them  things  you  see  and  the  very 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

expensive   things  in   the  cases.   He  said  they 
were  too  high-priced  for  him." 

He  actually  gave  Livingstone  a  wink,  and 
Livingstone  actually  felt  flattered  by  it. 

The  reply  recalled  Kitty  to  her  business. 
She  turned  to  Mr.  Livingstone. 

"  How  much  money  have  you  got  to 
spend  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Umhm  —  I  don't  know/'  said  Livingstone. 

"  As  much  as  a  dollar  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  More  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  How  much  more  ?  " 

"As  much  as  you  want.  Suppose  you  pick 
out  the  things  you  like  and  then  we  can  see 
about  the  price/'  he  suggested. 

"  Some  things  cost  a  heap." 

She  was  looking  at  a  doll  on  whose  skirt 
was  pinned  a  little  scrap  of  card-board 
marked,  "  25c" 

[131] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  Yes,  they  do,"  assented  Livingstone.  "  But 
they  are  worth  it,"  he  thought.  "  I  tell  you 
what!  —  Suppose  you  look  around  and  see 
just  what  you  like,  and  I  '11  go  off  here  and 
talk  with  Mr.  Brown  so  as  not  to  disturb  you." 

He  was  learning  and  the  lesson  was  already 
bringing  him  pleasure. 

He  took  the  shopkeeper  aside  and  had  a 
little  talk  with  him,  learning  from  him  all  he 
could  of  Clark's  family  and  circumstances.  It 
was  an  amazement  to  him.  He  had  never 
known  what  a  burden  Clark  had  carried.  The 
shopkeeper  spoke  of  him  with  great  affection 
and  with  great  respect. 

"  He  is  the  best  man  in  the  world,"  he  said. 

He  treated  Livingstone  with  familiarity,  but 
he  spoke  of  Clark  with  respect. 

"  He  ought  to  be  on  the  Avenue,"  he  as 
serted  ;   "  and    if  everybody  had    their  rights 
some  would    be  where  Mr.   Clark  is  and    Mr. 
Clark  would  be  in  their  place." 
[   132  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone  was  not  prepared  just  then  to 
gainsay  this. 

He  explained  to  Mr.  Brown  his  wishes.  He 
wanted  to  get  many  things,  but  did  not  know 
how  to  keep  the  child  from  suspecting  his 
plan.  The  shopkeeper  gave  him  a  suggestion. 
Close  association  and  sympathy  with  children 
had  given  Brown  knowledge. 


CHAPTER     XIII 

THKY   returned   to    Kitty.   She  was 
busy  figuring  on  a  little   piece  of 
paper,  moistening  her  little  stub  of 
a  pencil,  every  other  second,  with  her  tongue. 
Her  little  red  mouth  showed  streaks  of  black. 
She  was  evidently  in  some  trouble. 

Livingstone  drew  near. 

"  How  are  you  coming  on  ?  "  he  asked. 

She  looked  up  with  a  face  full  of  perplexity. 

"Oh!  I've  spent  nearly  the  whole  dollar 
and  I  haven't  but  nine  presents  yet.  We 
must  get  something  cheaper.  —  But  they  were 
so  pretty!"  she  lamented,  her  eyes  glancing 
longingly  towards  the  articles  she  had  selected. 

"  Let 's  see.  Maybe,  you  have  made  a  mis 
take,"  said  Livingstone.  He  took  the  bit  of 
paper  and  she  handed  him  the  pencil. 

"  I  'm  not  very  good  at  making  figures,"  she 
observed. 

[   13*] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  I  'm  not  either,"  said  Livingstone,  glan 
cing  at  the  paper.  "  I  '11  tell  you  what  let 's 
do/'  he  said.  "Let's  get  Mr.  Brown  to  open 
all  his  cases  and  boxes,  and  let's  look  at 
everything  and  just  see  what  we  would  select 
if  we  could  have  our  choice  ?  " 

The  little  girl's  eyes  opened  wide. 

"  You  mean,  let 's  make  pretense  that  we 
are  real  sure-enough  Santa  Claus  and  just 
pick  out  everything  we  want  to  give  every 
body,  and  pretend  that  we  could  get  it  and 
give  it  to  them  ?  " 

Livingstone  nodded. 

"Yes." 

That  was  just  what  he  ought  to  have  meant, 
he  knew. 

The  inquiry  in  Kitty's  big  eyes  became 
light.  She  sprang  to  her  feet  and  with  a 
little  squeak  of  delight  marched  to  the  mid 
dle  of  the  shop  and  taking  her  stand  began  to 
sweep  the  shelves  with  her  dancing  eyes. 
[  135  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone  gave  a  nod  to  the  shopkeeper 
and  he  drew  back  the  curtains  that  protected 
the  cases  where  the  finer  and  more  expensive 
goods  were  kept  and  began  to  open  the  boxes. 

Kitty  approached  on  tiptoe  and  watched 
him  with  breathless  silence  as  though  she 
were  in  a  dream  which  a  word  might  break. 

Then  when  she  had  seen  everything  she 
turned  back  to  Livingstone. 

"Well!"  she  said  slowly. 

"Well,  what  do  you  say?"  He  too  wras  be 
ginning  to  feel  a  spell. 

"  Well,  if  I  were  a  real,  sure-'nough  Santa 
Claus,  I'd  just  get — everything  in  those 
cases."  The  spread  of  her  little  arms  took  it 
all  in. 

"And  what  would  you  do  with  it?"  asked 
Livingstone  in  the  same  low  tone,  fearful  of 
breaking  the  reverie  in  which  she  stood 
wrapped. 

He  had  never  before  in  all  his  life  been 
[  136  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

taken  into  partnership  by  a  little  girl,  and 
deep  down  beneath  his  breast-pocket  was  a 
kindling  glow  which  was  warming  him  through 
and  through. 

"I'd  carry  that  doll  —  to  Jean,  and  that — 
to  Sue,  and  that — to  Mollie,  and  that — to 
Dee,  and  those  skates  to  Johnny,  and — that 
sled  to  Tom,  and  —  that  woolly  lamb  to  little 
Billy,  'cause  he  loves  squshy  things. — And  then 
—  I'd  take  all  the  rest  in  my  sleigh  and  I'd 
go  to  the  hospital  where  the  poor  little  chil 
dren  have  n't  got  any  good  papas  and  mammas 
like  me  to  give  them  anything,  and  where 
Santa  Claus  can't  ever  go,  and  I'd  put  some 
thing  by  the  side  of  every  bed — of  every 
one,  and,  maybe,  they  'd  think  at  first  it  was 
only  a  dream ;  but  when  they  waked  up  wide 
they  'd  find  Santa  Claus  had  been  there,  sure 
enough!" 

In  her  energy  she  was  gesticulating  with 
earnest  hands  that  seemed  to  take  each  pre- 
[137] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

sent  and  bear  it  to  its  destination,  and  she 
concluded  with  a  little  nod  to  Livingstone 
that  seemed  to  recognize  him  as  in  sympathy 
with  her,  and  to  say,  "  Would  n't  we  if  we  only 
could  ?" 

It  seemed  to  Livingstone  as  though  a  casing 
of  ice  in  which  he  had  been  enclosed  had  sud 
denly  broken  and  he  were  bathed  in  warmth. 

The  millstone  round  his  neck  had  suddenly 
dropped  and  he  shot  upward  into  the  light. 

The  child  was  leading  him  into  a  new  and 
vernal  world.  He  wanted  to  take  her  in  his 
arms  and  press  her  to  his  heart.  The  differ 
ence  between  the  glance  she  now  gave  him 
and  that  she  had  shot  at  him  at  the  door  of 
his  office  that  evening  came  to  him  and  de 
cided  him.  It  was  worth  it  all. 

"Yes.  Is  there  anything  else  you  wish?"  he 
asked,  hoping  that  there  might  be,  for  she  had 
not  mentioned  herself. 

"Yes,  but  it's  not  anything  Santa  Claus  can 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

give,"  she  said  calmly ;  "  I  have  asked  God  for 
it." 

"What?"  asked  Livingstone. 

"Something  to  make  mamma  well:  to  help 
papa  pay  for  the  house.  He  says  it's  that  'at 
keeps  her  ill,  and  she  says  if  she  were  well  he 
could  pay  for  it :  and  I  just  pray  to  God  for  it 
every  day." 

Livingstone  caught  his  breath  quickly  as  if 
from  a  sudden  pain.  The  long  years  of  Clark's 
faithful  service  flashed  before  him.  He  shivered 
at  the  thought  of  his  own  meanness.  He  was 
afraid  those  great  eyes  might  see  into  his 
heart.  He  almost  shrivelled  at  the  thought. 

"Well,  let's  take  a  sleigh-ride  and  see  if  any 
other  shops  are  open.  Then  we  can  return." 

He  spoke  a  few  words  aside  to  Mr.  Brown. 
The  shopkeeper's  eyes  opened  wide. 

"But  you  say  you  haven't  money  enough 
with  you,  and  I  don't  know  you  ?" 

Livingstone  smiled. 

[  139] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Why,  man,  I  am  worth—  '  He  stopped 
short  as  a  faint  trace  of  seven  figures  appeared 
vaguely  before  his  eyes.  "I  am  worth  enough 
to  buy  all  this  square  and  not  feel  it,"  he  said, 
quickly  correcting  himself. 

"That  may  be  all  so,  but  I  don't  know  you," 
persisted  the  shopkeeper.  "  Do  you  know  any 
body  in  this  part  of  the  town  ?" 

"Well,  I  know  Mr.  Clark.  He  would  vouch 
for  me,  but — ." 

The  shopkeeper  turned  to  the  child. 

"Kitty,  you  know  this  gentleman,  you  say  ?" 

"  Yes.  Oh,  he 's  all  right,"  said  Kitty  deci 
sively.  "He  's  my  papa's  employer  and  he  gave 
himt///?//  dollars  last  Christmas,  'cause  my  papa 
told  me  so." 

This  munificent  gift  did  not  appear  to  im 
press  Mr.  Brown  very  much,  any  more  than  it 
did  Livingstone,  who  felt  himself  flush. 

"Business  is  business,  you  know?"  said  the 
shopkeeper, — an  aphorism  on  which  Living- 
[  140  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

stone  had  often  acted,,  but  had  never  had  cited 
against  him. 

The  shopkeeper  was  evidently  considering. 

Livingstone  was  half  angry  and  half  embar 
rassed.  He  felt  as  he  had  not  done  in  twenty 
years.  The  shopkeeper  was  weighing  him  in 
his  scales  as  he  might  have  done  a  pound  of 
merchandise,  and  Livingstone  could  not  tell 
what  he  would  decide.  There  was  Kitty,  how 
ever,  her  eyes  still  filled  with  light.  He  could 
not  disappoint  her.  She,  too,  felt  that  he  was 
being  weighed  and  suddenly  came  to  his  res 
cue. 

"He's  an  awful  kind  man,"  she  said  ear 
nestly.  "He  hasn't  got  any  little  children  of 
his  own,  and  he  's  going  to  give  things  to  little 
poor  children.  He  always  does  that,  I  guess," 
she  added. 

"  Well,  no,  I  don't,"  said  Livingstone,  look 
ing  at  the  shopkeeper  frankly;  "but  I  wish  I 
had,  and  I  '11  pay  you." 

[141   ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"All  right.  She  knows  you  and  that  will 
do,"  said  Mr.  Brown. 

Kitty,  with  the  light  of  an  explorer  in  her 
eyes,  was  making  new  discoveries  on  the 
shelves,  and  the  two  men  walked  to  the  back 
of  the  shop  where  the  shopkeeper  wrote  3 
list  of  names.  Then  Livingstone  and  Kitty 
got  into  the  sleigh  and  drove  for  a  half-hour 
or  so. 

On  their  return  Mr.  Brown  wras  ready. 

His  shop  looked  as  though  it  had  been 
struck  by  a  whirlwind.  The  floor  and  counters 
were  covered  with  boxes  and  bundles,  and  he 
and  Livingstone  packed  the  big  sleigh  as  full 
as  it  would  hold,  leaving  only  one  seat  deep 
in  the  furs  amid  the  heaped  up  parcels.  Then 
suddenly  from  somewhere  Mr.  Brown  pro 
duced  a  great,  shaggy  cape  with  a  hood,  and 
Livingstone  threw  it  around  Kitty  and  get 
ting  in  lifted  her  into  the  little  nest  between 

the  furs. 

[1*2] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Kitty's  eyes  were  dancing  and  her  breath 
was  coming  quickly  with  excitement. 

It  was  a  supreme  moment. 

"Where  are  we  going,  Mr.  Livingstone?" 
she  whispered.  She  was  afraid  to  speak  aloud 
lest  she  might  break  the  spell  and  awake. 

"Just  where  you  like." 

"To  the  Children's  Hospital,"  she  panted. 

"To  the  Children's  Hospital,  driver,"  re 
peated  Livingstone. 

Kitty  gave  another  gasp. 

"We'll  play  you 're  Santa  Claus,"  she  said, 
in  a  voice  of  low  delight. 

"No.  Play  you  are  Santa  Claus's  partner/' 
said  Livingstone. 

"And  you  ?" 

"You  are  not  to  say  anything  about  me." 


[  143] 


CHAPTER     XIV 

EINGSTOXE  had  not  had  such  a  drive 
in  years.  The  little  form  snuggled 
against  him  closer  and  closer  and  the 
warm  half  sentences  of  childish  prattle,  as 
the  little  girl's  imagination  wove  its  fancies, 
came  to  him  from  amid  the  furs  and  made 
him  feel  as  though  he  had  left  the  earth  and 
were  driving  in  a  new  world.  It  was  like  a 
dream.  Had  youth  come  back  ?  Was  it  possible  ? 

The  sleigh  stopped  in  front  of  a  great  long 
building. 

"  You  have  to  ring  at  the  side  door  at 
night,"  said  the  driver.  He  appeared  to  know 
a  good  deal  about  the  hospital. 

Livingstone  sprang  out  and  rang  the  bell 
and  then  stepped  back. 

"  When  they  open  the  door,  you  are  to  do 
all  the  talking,"  he  said  to  Kitty  as  he  lifted 

her  down. 

[144] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"  Who  shall  I  say  rang  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Santa  Claus's  partner." 

"But  you  —  ?" 

"No.  You  are  not  to  mention  my  name. 
Remember!  " 

Before  the  child  could  reply  the  door  opened 
a  little  way  and  a  porter  looked  out. 

"Who's  there?"  he  called  to  the  sleigh, 
rather  overlooking  the  little  figure  in  the 
snow. 

"  Santa  Claus's  partner/'  said  Kitty. 

"What  do  you  want?"  He  peered  out  at 
the  sleigh.  He  was  evidently  sleepy  and  a  lit 
tle  puzzled.  "We  don't  take  in  anything  at 
this  hour  except  patients."  He  looked  as  if  he 
were  about  to  shut  the  door  wrhen  a  woman's 
voice  was  heard  within  speaking  to  him  and 
the  next  moment  the  door  was  opened  wide 
and  he  gave  way  as  a  matronly  figure  came 
forward  and  stood  in  the  archway. 

"  WTho  is  it  ?  "  she  asked  in  a  very  pleasant 
[145] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

voice,  looking  down  at  the  little  figure  in  the 
snow  before  her. 

"Santa  Claus's  partner,"  said  Kitty,  gazing 
up  at  her. 

"What  do  you  want,  dear?"  The  voice  was 
even  pleasanter. 

"  To  leave  some  presents  for  the  children." 

"  What  children  ?  " 

"All  the  good  children  — all  the  sick  chil 
dren,  I  mean — all  the  children,"  said  Kitty. 

The  matron  turned  and  spoke  to  the  porter, 
showing  to  Livingstone,  as  she  did  so,  a  glimpse 
of  a  finely  cut  profile  and  a  comely  figure  sil 
houetted  against  the  light  within.  The  bolts 
were  drawrn  from  the  gate  of  the  driveway  and 
the  doors  rolled  back. 

"Come  in,"  said  the  matron,  and  the  little 
figure  enveloped  in  the  shaggy  cape  and  hood 
walked  in  under  the  big  arch  followed  by  the 
sleigh,  whilst  Livingstone  withdrew  a  short 
distance  into  the  shadow. 
[146] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

It  was  some  time  before  the  doors  opened 
again  and  Kitty  reappeared,  but  Livingstone 
did  not  mind  it.  It  was  cold  too,  but  neither 
did  he  mind  that.  He  was  warm.  As  he  walked 
up  and  down  in  the  empty  street  before  the 
long  building  his  heart  was  warmed  with  a 
glow  which  had  not  been  there  for  many  and 
many  a  long  year.  He  was  not  alone.  Once 
more  the  memory  of  other  Christmases  passed 
through  his  mind  in  long  processional,  but 
now  not  stamped  with  irretrievable  opportu 
nity,  to  mock  him  with  vain  regret  for  lost 
happiness  ;  only  tinged  with  a  sadness  for  lost 
friends  who  came  trooping  about  him ;  yet 
lightened  by  his  resolve  to  begin  from  now 
on  and  strive  as  best  he  might  to  retrieve  his 
wasted  life,  and  whilst  he  bore  his  punish 
ment  do  what  he  could  to  make  atonement 
for  his  past. 

Just  then  across  the  town  the  clocks  be 
gan  to  sound  the  midnight  hour,  and  as  they 
[147] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

ceased,  from  somewhere  far-away  church  bells 
mellowed  by  the  distance  began  to  chime  the 
old  Christmas  hymn  :  — 

"  While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks  by  night, 
All  seated  on  the  ground, 
The  angel  of  the  Lord  came  down, 
And  glory  shone  around" 

Livingstone   stood   still  to  listen,  in  a  half- 
dream. 

Suddenly  before  him  in  the  snow  stood  a 
little  figure  muffled  in  a  shaggy  cape  with 
hood  half  thrown  back.  The  childish  face  was 
uplifted  in  the  moonlight.  With  lips  half 
parted  she  too  was  listening,  and  for  a  mo 
ment  Livingstone  could  hardly  take  in  that 
she  was  real.  She  seemed  — ! 
Could  she  be —  ? 

"  The  angel  of  the  Lord  came  down,' '  —  chimed 
the  mellow  bells. 

The  chiming  died  out. 

[   1*8    ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Christ  is  born,"  said  the  child.  "You  heard 
the  bells?" 

"  Yes/'  said  Livingstone  humbly. 

"It's  all  done/'  she  said;  "and  I  prayed  so 
hard  that  not  one  of  them  stirred,  and  now 
when  they  wake  they  '11  think  it  was  real 
Santa  Claus.  They  say  he  always  comes  at 
twelve  and  I  counted  the  clocks.  —  I  wonder 
if  he  went  home?"  She  was  speaking  now  to 
herself;  but  Livingstone  answered. 

"  I  'm  sure  of  it,"  he  said. 

"  The  angel  of  the  Lord  came  down,"  still 
chimed  in  his  ears. 

Suddenly  a  little  warm  hand  was  slipped 
into  his  confidingly. 

"I  think  we'd  better  go  home  now."  The 
voice  was  full  of  deep  content. 

Livingstone's  hand  closed  on  hers  and  as  he 
said  "Yes/'  he  was  conscious  of  a  pang  at  the 
thought  of  giving  her  up. 

He  lifted  her  to  put  her  in  the  sleigh.  As 
[  149] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

he  did  so  the  little  arms  were  put  about  his 
neck  and  warm  little  lips  kissed  him.  Living 
stone  pressed  her  to  his  breast  convulsively 
and  climbed  into  the  sleigh  without  putting 
her  down. 

Neither  spoke  and  when  the  sleigh  stopped 
in  front  of  Mr.  Clark's  door  the  child  was  still 
in  Livingstone's  arms,  her  head  resting  on  his 
shoulder,  the  golden  curls  falling  over  his 
sleeve.  Even  when  he  transferred  her  to  her 
father's  arms  she  did  not  wake.  She  only 
sighed  with  sweet  content  and  as  Livingstone 
bent  over  and  kissed  her  softly,  muttered  a 
few  words  about  "Santa  Claus's  partner." 

A  half-hour  later,  Livingstone,  after  another 
interview  with  Mr.  Brown  who  was  awaiting 
him  patiently,  drove  back  again  to  Mr.  Clark's 
door  with  another  sleighful  of  packages  which 
were  all  duly  transferred  to  the  small  room 
where  stood  the  little  Christmas-tree. 

The  handshake  Livingstone  gave  John 
[  150  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Clark  as  he  came  down  the  steps  of  the  little 
house  was  the  warmest  he  had  given  any  man 
in  twenty  years.  It  was  so  warm  that  it 
seemed  to  send  the  blood  tingling  through 
Livingstone's  heart  and  warm  it  anew. 


[151] 


CHAPTER     XV 

E— INGSTONE  drove  home  through  si 
lent  streets,  but  they  were  not  silent 
for  him.  In  his  ears  a  chime  was  still 
ringing  and  it  bore  him  far  across  the  snow- 
filled  streets  and  the  snow-filled  years  to  a 
land  of  warmth  and  light.  The  glow  was 
still  about  his  heart  and  the  tingle  which  the 
pressure  of  Kitty  Clark's  arms  about  his  neck, 
and  John  Clark's  clasp  of  his  hand  had 
started  still  kept  it  warm. 

At  his  door  Livingstone  dismissed  his  driver 
and  as  he  cheerily  wished  him  a  merry  Christ 
mas  the  man's  cheery  reply  showed  that  Liv 
ingstone  had  already  found  the  secret  of  good 
cheer. 

"The  same  to  you,  your  honor ;  the  same  to 
you,  sir,"  said  the  driver  heartily,  as  he  but 
toned  up  his  pocket  with  a  pat  of  satisfaction. 
"We  've  had  a  good  time  to-night,  sir,  have  n't 
[  152  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

we  ?  And  I  wish  you  many  more  like  it,  sir. 
And  when  Christmas  comes  along  next  time  I 
hope  you  '11  remember  me,  for  I  '11  remember 
you ;  I  've  had  a  little  child  in  that  'ere  same 
horspital.  God  took  her  to  Himself  twelve 
years  ago.  They're  good  to  'em  there,  rich 
and  poor  all  alike; — and  't  is  n't  every  night  I 
can  drive  '  Santa  Claus's  partner.'  " 

Livingstone  stood  and  watched  the  sleigh 
till  it  drove  out  of  sight.  Even  after  it  had  dis 
appeared  around  a  corner,  he  still  listened  to 
the  bells.  It  seemed  to  him  he  had  a  friend  in 
it. 

Livingstone  let  himself  in  noiselessly  at  his 
door,  but  the  softness  with  which  he  turned 
the  key  this  time  was  to  keep  from  disturbing 
his  servants,  not  to  keep  them  from  seeing 
him. 

He  stopped  stock  still  on  the  threshold. 
The  whole  house  seemed  transformed.  The 
hall  was  a  bower  of  holly  and  mistletoe,  and 
[  153  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

the  library,  as  Livingstone  entered  it,  with  its 
bright  fire  roaring  in  the  hearth  and  its  fes 
toons  and  wreaths,  seemed  once  more  a  charm 
ing  home :  a  bower  where  cheer  might  yet 
make  its  abode. 

As  quietly,  however,  as  Livingstone  had  en 
tered,  his  butler  had  heard  him. 

As  Livingstone  turned  to  take  in  all  the 
beauty  of  the  room,  James  was  standing  before 
him.  His  face  showed  some  concern,  and  his 
voice,  as  he  spoke,  had  a  little  tremor  in  it. 

"When  we  found  you  had  gone  out,  sir,  we 
were  afraid  you  might  be  sick,  and  the  cook 
has  got  something  hot  for  you  ?" 

Livingstone  glanced  about  to  find  a  phrase 
with  which  to  thank  him  for  the  trouble  they 
had  taken ;  but  the  butler  spared  him  the 
pains. 

"We  thought  we  would  try  to  make  the 
house  look  a  little  cheery,  sir.  Hope  you  don't 
mind,  sir?" 

[   154  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"Mind!"  said  Livingstone,  "I  am  delighted; 
and  I  thank  you  very  much.  Mind  ?  I  should 
think  not ! " 

The  tone  of  his  voice  and  the  light  in  his 
eye  showed  that  there  was  a  change  in  him 
and  it  acted  like  a  tonic  on  the  butler.  The 
light  came  into  his  eyes  too.  He  drew  a  breath 
of  deep  relief  as  though  a  mountain  of  care 
had  rolled  off  him,  and  he  came  a  step  nearer 
his  master,  who  had  flung  himself  into  a  chair 
and  picked  up  a  cigar. 

The  next  minute  Livingstone  plunged  into 
the  subject  on  his  mind.  It  was  a  plan  which 
made  the  butler's  eyes  first  open  wide  and 
then  sparkle  with  pleasure. 

The  difficulty  with  Livingstone,  however, 
was  that  the  next  day  was  a  holiday  and  he 
did  not  know  whether  what  he  wanted  could 
be  got. 

The  butler  came  to  his  rescue.  It  was  no 
difficulty  to  James.  Such  an  emergency  only 
[  155  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

quickened  his  powers.  He  knew  places  where 
whatever  wras  wanted  could  be  got,  holiday  or 
no  holiday,  and,  "If  Mr.  Livingstone  would 
only  allow  him — ?" 

"Allow  you!"  said  Livingstone,  "I  give  you 
carte  blanche,  only  have  everything  ready  by 
five  o'clock.  —  Ask  the  cook  to  send  up  what 
ever  she  has ;  I  'm  hungry,  and  we  '11  talk  it 
over  whilst  I  'm  taking  supper." 

"Yes,  sir;  yes,  sir;  yes,  sir;"  and  James 
withdrew  with  a  step  as  light  as  air. 

"Extraordinary  servant!"  thought  Living 
stone.  "Wonder  I  never  took  it  in  before!" 

Ten  minutes  later  Livingstone  was  seated  at 
the  table  with  an  appetite  like  a  schoolboy's. 

It  was  the  happiest  meal  Livingstone  had 
eaten  in  many  a  long  day  ;  for,  all  alone  as  he 
was,  he  was  not  alone.  Thought-of-others  sat 
at  the  board  and  a  cheery  companion  it  is. 

"Tell  the  laundress  to  be  sure  and  bring 
her  children  around  to-morrow,  and  be  sure 
[  156] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

you  make  them  have  a  good  time/'  he  said 
to  James,  as  he  rose  from  the  table.  James 
bowed. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  ascertain  where  policeman,  No.  268, 
is  to  be  found  to-morrow.  I  want  to  send  a 
contribution  to  make  a  good  slide  for  some 
boys  on  his  beat." 

James  bowed  again,  his  eyes  somewhat 
wider  than  before. 

As  Livingstone  mounted  the  stair,  though 
he  was  sensible  of  fatigue  it  was  the  fatigue 
of  the  body,  so  delicious  to  those  who  have 
known  that  of  the  mind.  And  he  felt  pity  as 
well  as  loathing  for  the  poor,  worn  creature 
who  had  climbed  the  same  stair  a  few  hours 
before. 

As  he   entered   his   room   the  warmth  and 

home  feeling  had  come  back  there  also.  The 

portraits  of  his  father  and  mother  first  caught 

his  eye.   Some  one  had  put  a  wreath  around 

[157] 


SANTA  CLAUS'S  PARTNER 

each  and  they  seemed  to  beam  on  him  with  a 
pleased  and  tender  smile.  They  opened  afresh 
the  flood-gates  of  memory  for  him,  but  the 
memories  were  sweet  and  tender. 

He  glanced  at  a  mirror  almost  with  trem 
bling.  The  last  time  he  had  looked  at  himself 
he  had  seen  only  that  old,  haggard  face  with 
the  ghostly  figures  branded  across  the  brow. 
Thank  God !  they  were  gone  now,  and  he 
could  even  see  in  his  face  some  faint  resem 
blance  to  the  portraits  on  the  wall. 

He  went  to  bed  and  slept  as  he  had  not 
slept  for  months,  perhaps  for  years  —  not 
dreamlessly,  but  the  dreams  were  pleasant. 
—  Now  and  then  lines  of  vague  figures  ap 
peared  to  him,  but  a  little  girl  with  a  smiling 
face  came  and  played  bo-peep  with  him  over 
them,  and  presently  sprang  up  and  threw  her 
arms  about  his  neck  and  made  him  take  her 
in  a  sleigh  to  a  wonderful  shop  where  they 
could  get  marvellous  presents ;  among  them 
[  158  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Youth,  and  Friendship,  and  Happiness.  The 
door  was  just  being  shut  as  they  arrived,  but 
when  he  called  his  father's  name  it  was 
opened  wide  —  and  his  father  and  mother 
greeted  him — and  led  him  smiling  into  places 
where  he  had  played  as  a  child.  —  And  Cath 
erine  Trelane  in  a  shaggy  coat  and  hood 
pulled  the  presents  from  a  forest  of  Christ 
mas-trees  and  gave  them  to  Santa  Claus's 
partner  to  give  to  others.  And  suddenly  his 
father,  with  his  old  tender  smile,  picked  the 
little  girl  up  in  his  arms  and  she  changed  into 
a  wonderful  child  that  shone  so  that  it  dazzled 
Livingstone  and — he  waked  to  find  the  bright 
sun  shining  in  through  the  window  and  falling 
on  his  face. 

He  sprang  from  bed  with  a  cry  almost  of 
joy  so  bright  was  the  day ;  and  as  he  looked 
out  of  the  window  on  the  sparkling  snow  out- 
side  it  seemed  a  new  world. 

[  159] 


CHAPTER     XVI 

A~.  the  morning  Livingstone  "rushed" 
as  he  had  never  "rushed"  in  the 
wildest  excitement  of  "  the  street." 
He  had  to  find  a  banker  and  a  lawyer  and  a 
policeman.  But  he  found  them  all.  He  had  to 
get  presents  to  Sipkins  and  Hartly  and  the 
other  clerks  ;  but  he  managed  to  do  it. 

His  servants,  too,  had  caught  the  contagion, 
and  more  than  once  big  wagons  driven  by  smil 
ing,  cheery-faced  men  drove  up  to  the  door 
and  unloaded  their  contents.  And  when  the 
evening  fell  and  a  great  sleigh  with  six  seats 
and  four  horses,  and  every  seat  packed  full, 
drove  up  and  emptied  its  shouting  occupants 
out  at  Livingstone's  door  everything  was  ready. 

It  was  Livingstone  himself  who  met  the  guests 
at  the  door,  and  the  driver,  in  his  shaggy  coat, 
must  have  been  an  old  friend  from  the  smil 
ing  way  in  which  he  nodded  and  waved  his  fur- 
[  160  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

gloved  hands  to  him,  as  he  helped  Mrs.  Clark 
out  tenderly  and  took  Kitty  into  his  arms. 

When  Kitty  was  informed  that  this  was 
Santa  Claus's  Partner's  party,  and  that  she  was 
to  be  the  hostess,  she  was  at  first  a  little  shy, 
partly,  perhaps,  on  account  of  the  strangeness 
of  being  in  such  a  big,  fine  house,  and  partly 
on  account  of  the  solemn  presence  of  James, 
until  the  latter  had  relieved  her  in  ways  of 
which  that  austere  person  seemed  to  have  the 
secret  where  children  were  concerned.  Finally 
she  was  induced  to  take  the  children  over 
the  house,  and  the  laughter  which  soon  came 
floating  back  from  distant  rooms  showed  that 
the  ice  was  broken. 

Only  two  rooms,  the  library  and  the  dining- 
room,  were  closed,  and  they  were  not  closed 
very  long. 

Just  as  it  grew  dark  Kitty  was  told  to 
marshal  her  eager  forces  and  James  with 
sparkling  eyes  rolled  back  the  folding  doors. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

The  children  had  never  seen  anything  before 
in  all  their  lives  like  that  which  greeted  their 
eyes.  The  library  was  a  bower  of  evergreen 
and  radiance.  In  the  centre  was  a  great  tree 
of  crystal  and  stars  which  reflected  the  light 
of  a  myriad  twinkling  candles,  it  had  un 
doubtedly  come  from  fairy-land,  if  the  place 
was  not  fairy-land  itself,  on  the  border  of 
which  they  stood  amazed. 

Kitty  was  asked  by  Mr.  Livingstone  to  lead 
the  other  children  in,  and  as  she  approached 
the  tree  she  found  facing  her  a  large  envelope 
addressed  to, 

Santa  Clauss  Partner,  Miss  Kitty  Clark. 

This  she  was  told  to  open  and  in  it  was  a 
letter  from  Santa  Glaus  himself. 

It  stated  that  the  night  before,  as  the  writer 
was  engaged  in  looking  after  presents  for  some 
poor  children,  he  saw  a  little  girl  in  a  shop  en 
gaged  in  the  same  work,  and  when  he  reached 
[  162] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

a  certain  hospital  he  found  that  she  had  been 
there,  too,  before  him,  and  now  as  he  had  to 
go  to  another  part  of  the  world  to  keep  ahead 
of  the  sun,  he  hoped  that  she  would  still  act 
for  him  and  look  after  his  business  here. 
The  letter  was  signed, 

Your  partner,  Santa  Claus. 

The  postscript  suggested  that  a  few  of  the 
articles  he  had  left  on  the  tree  for  her  were 
marked  with  names,  but  that  others  were  un 
marked,  so  that  her  friends  might  choose  what 
they  preferred,  and  he  had  left  his  pack  at  the 
foot  of  the  tree  as  a  grab-bag. 

This  letter  broke  the  spell  and  next  mo 
ment  every  one  was  shouting  and  rollicking 
as  though  they  lived  there. 

In  all  the  throng  there  was  no  one  so  de 
lighted  as  Mr.  Clark.  Livingstone  had  had  no 
idea  how  clever  he  was.  He  was  the  soul  of 
the  entertainment.  It  wras  he  who  discovered 
[163] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

first  the  packages  for  each  little  one  ;  he  who, 
without  appearing  to  do  so,  guided  them  in 
their  march  around  the  tree,  so  that  all  might 
find  just  the  presents  that  suited  them.  He 
seemed  to  Livingstone's  quickened  eye  to  di 
vine  just  what  each  child  liked  and  wished. 
He  appeared  to  know  all  that  Livingstone 
desired  to  know. 

At  length,  he  alone  of  all  the  guests  had 
received  no  present.  The  others  had  their 
little  arms  packed  so  full  that  Livingstone 
had  to  step  forward  to  the  tree  to  help  a 
small  tot  bear  away  his  toppling  load. 

The  next  moment  Kitty  discovered  a  large 
envelope  lying  at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  It  was 
addressed, 

John  Clark,  Esq., 

Father  of  Santa  Clans' x  Partner. 

It  was  strange  that  Kitty  should  have  over 
looked  it  before. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

With  a  spring  she  seized  it  and  handed  it 
to  her  father  with  a  little  shout  of  joy,  for 
she  had  not  been  able  to  keep  from  showing 
disappointment  that  he  had  received  nothing. 

Clark  smiled  at  her  pleasure,  for  he  knew 
that  the  kisses  which  she  had  given  him  from 
time  to  time  had  been  to  make  amends  to 
him,  and  not,  as  others  thought,  from  joy  over 
her  own  presents. 

Clark  knew  well  the  hand-writing,  and  even 
as  he  opened  the  envelope  he  glanced  around 
to  catch  Livingstone's  eye  and  thank  him. 
Livingstone,  however,  had  suddenly  disap 
peared  ;  so  Clark  read  the  letter. 

It  was  very  brief.  It  said  that  Livingstone 
had  never  known  until  the  night  before  how 
much  he  owed  him ;  that  he  was  not  sure 
even  now  that  he  knew  the  full  extent  of  his 
indebtedness,  but  at  least  he  had  come  to 
recognize  that  he  owed  much  of  his  business 
success  to  Mr.  Clark's  wisdom  and  fidelity; 
[165] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

and  he  asked  as  a  personal  favor  to  him  that 
Clark  would  accept  the  enclosed  as  a  token 
of  his  gratitude,  and  would  consider  favorably 
his  proposal. 

Opening  an  enclosed  envelope,  Clark  found 
two  papers.  One  was  a  full  release  of  the 
mortgage  on  Clark's  house  (Livingstone  had 
spent  the  morning  in  securing  it),  the  other 
was  a  Memorandum  of  "Articles  of  Part 
nership  "  between  Berryman  Livingstone  and 
John  Clark,  beginning  from  that  very  day, 
—  indeed,  from  the  day  before,  —  all  ready, 
signed  by  Livingstone  and  wanting  only  Mr. 
Clark's  signature  to  make  it  complete. 

Mr.  Clark,  with  his  face  quite  white  and 
looking  almost  awed,  turned  and  walked  into 
the  next  room  where  he  found  Livingstone 
standing  alone.  The  old  clerk  was  still  holding 
the  papers  clutched  in  his  hand  and  was  walk 
ing  as  if  in  a  dream. 

"  Mr.  Livingstone,"  he  began,  "  I  can  never 
[  166  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

—  I  am  overwhelmed!  —  Your  letter — your 
gifts —  '  But  Livingstone  interrupted  him. 
His  face  was  not  white  but  red. 

"  Nonsense !  "  he  said,  as  he  turned  and  put 
his  hand  on  the  other's  shoulder.  "  Clark,  I  am 
not  giving  you  anything.  I  am  paying. —  I 
mean,  I  owe  you  everything,  and  what  I  don't 
owe  you,  I  owe  Kitty.  Last  night  you  lent 
me —  '  He  stopped,  caught  himself,  and  be 
gan  again. 

"It  was  more  than  even  you  knew,  Clark," 
he  said,  looking  the  other  kindly  in  the  eyes, 
"and  I'll  owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude  all  my 
life.  All  I  ask  is,  that  you  will  forget  the  past 
and  help  me  in  the  future  and  sometimes  lend 
me  Kitty.  I  never  knew  until  now  how  good 
it  was  to  have  a  partner." 

Just  then  he  became  conscious  that  some 
one  else  was  near  him.  Kitty,  with  wide-open, 
happy  eyes,  was  standing  beside  them  looking 
up  inquiringly  in  their  faces.  The  child  seemed 
[  167  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

to  know  that  something  important  had  hap 
pened,  for  she  put  up  her  arms,  and  pulling 
her  father  down  to  her  kissed  him,  and  then 
turning  quickly  she  caught  Livingstone  and, 
drawing  him  down,  kissed  him  too. 

"  I  love  you,"    she  said,  in  a  whisper. 

Livingstone  caught  her  in  his  arms. 

"  Let 's  go  and  have  a  game  of  blind-man's 
buff.  I  am  beginning  to  feel  young  again," 
he  said,  and  linking  his  arm  in  Clark's,  he 
dragged  him  back  to  the  others,  where,  in  a 
few  minutes  they  were  all  of  one  age,  and 
a  very  riot  of  fun  seemed  to  have  broken 
loose. 

Matters  had  just  reached  this  delightful 
point,  and  Livingstone  was  down  on  his  hands 
and  knees  trying  with  futile  dexterity  to  avoid 
the  clutch  of  a  pair  of  little  arms  that  appar 
ently  were  pursuing  him  with  infallible  in 
stinct  into  an  inextricable  trap,  when  he 
became  conscious  of  a  presence  he  had  not 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

observed  before.  Some  one  not  there  before 
was  standing  in  the  doorway. 

Livingstone  sprang  to  his  feet  and  faced 
Mrs.  Wright. 

He  felt  very  red  and  foolish  as  he  caught 
her  eyes  and  found  them  smiling  at  him.  The 
idea  of  being  discovered  in  so  ridiculous  a 
situation  and  posture  by  the  most  fashionable 
and  elegant  woman  of  his  acquaintance !  But 
Mrs.  Wright  waved  to  him  to  go  on  with  his 
game  and  the  next  moment  the  little  arms 
had  clutched  him,  and,  tearing  off  her  band 
age,  Kitty,  with  dancing  eyes,  declared  him 
"caught." 

"Well,  this  is  my  final  triumph  over  Will," 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Wright,  advancing  into  the 
room,  as  Livingstone,  drawing  the  little  girl 
along  with  him,  approached  her.  And  she  be 
gan  to  tell  Livingstone  how  they  had  particu 
larly  wanted  him  to  dine  with  them  that  day 
as  an  old  friend  of  his  had  promised  to  come 
[  169] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

to  them,  but  they  had  supposed,  of  course, 
that  he  had  been  overrun  with  invitations  for 
the  day  and,  as  they  had  not  seen  him  of  late, 
thought  that  he  had  probably  gone  out  of 
town,  until  her  husband  saw  him  at  the  club 
the  night  before  where  he  had  gone  to  find 
some  poor  lone  bachelor  who  might  have  no 
other  invitation. 

"You  know  Will  has  always  been  very  fond 
of  you,"  she  said ;  "and  he  says  you  have  been 
working  too  hard  of  late  and  have  not  been 
looking  well.  When  I  did  n't  get  my  usual 
contributions  from  you  this  Christmas  I  did  n't 
know  what  to  make  of  it,  but  I  think  that  on 
my  round  this  morning  I  have  found  out  the 
reason  ?" 

Livingstone  knew  the  reason,  but  he  did  not 
tell  her.  The  knowing  smile  that  lit  her  face, 
however,  mystified  him  and  he  flushed  a  little 
under  her  searching  eyes. 

"Will  was  sure  he  saw  you  in  the  club  last 

[  no] 


SANTA     CLAUSE     PARTNER 

night/'  she  persisted,  "and  he  tried  to  catch 
you,  but  you  ran  off;  and  now  I  have  come  for 
you  and  will  take  no  refusal." 

Livingstone  expressed  his  regret  that  he 
could  not  come.  A  wave  of  his  hand  towards  the 
curly  heads  and  beaming  faces  clustered  before 
them  and  towards  the  long  table  gleaming  in 
the  dining-room  beyond  explained  his  reason. 

"I  am  having  a  Christmas  dinner  myself," 
he  said. 

"Then  you  will  come  in  after  they  go  ?"  in 
sisted  Mrs.  Wright,  and  as  Livingstone  knew 
they  were  going  early  he  assented. 

"Who  are  your  friends  ?"  she  asked.  "What 
a  pleasant-looking  man,  and  what  lovely  chil 
dren !  That  little  girl,  —  I  thought  it  was  Cupid 
when  she  had  the  bandage  on  her  eyes  and 
now  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"Let  me   present   them   to  you,"  said  Liv 
ingstone,  and   he   presented  Mr.  Clark  as  his 
partner  and  Kitty  as  Santa  Claus's  partner. 
[171  ] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

"I  did  not  know  you  had  a  partner?"  she 
asked. 

"It  is  my  Christmas  gift  from  Santa  Claus/' 
he  said.  "  One  of  them  ;  I  have  many." 


CHAPTER     XVII 

WHEN    Livingstone    walked    into 
Mrs.  Wright's  drawing-room  that 
evening  he  had  never  had  such  a 
greeting,  and  he  had  never  been  in  such  spir 
its.  His  own  Christmas  dinner  had  been  the 
success  of  his  life.    He   could   still   see   those 
happy  faces  about  his  board,  and  hear  those 
joyous  voices  echoing  through  his  house. 

The  day  seemed  to  have  been  one  long 
dream  of  delight.  From  the  moment  when  he 
had  turned  to  go  after  the  little  child  to  ask 
her  to  show  him  the  way  to  help  others,  he  had 
walked  in  a  new  land ;  lived  in  a  new  world ; 
breathed  a  new  air ;  been  warmed  by  a  new  sun. 

Wright  himself  met  him  with  a  cordiality 
so  new  to  Livingstone  and  yet  so  natural  and 
unforced  that  Livingstone  wondered  whether 
he  could  have  been  living  in  a  dream  all  these 
years  or  whether  he  was  in  a  dream  to-night. 
[173] 


SAxNTA     CLAUSES     PARTNER 

Among  the  guests  he  suddenly  came  on 
one  who  made  him  think  to-night  must  be 
the  dream. 

Mrs.  Wright,  with  glowing  eyes,  presented 
him  to  a  lady  dressed  in  black,  as  "an  old 
friend,  she  believed:"  a  fair,  sweet-looking 
woman  with  soft  eyes  and  a  calm  mouth. 

The  name  Mrs.  Wright  mentioned  was 
"Mrs.  Shepherd,"  but  as  Livingstone  looked 
the  face  was  that  of  Catherine  Trelane. 

The  evening  was  a  fitting  ending  to  a 
happy  day — the  first  Livingstone  had  had  in 
many  a  year.  Even  Mrs.  Shepherd's  failure  to 
give  him  the  opportunity  he  sought  to  talk 
with  her  could  not  wholly  mar  it. 

Later,  Livingstone  heard.  Mrs.  Wright  begin 
to  tell  some  one  of  his  act  of  the  night  before, 
in  buying  up  a  toy-shop  for  the  children  at  the 
hospital. 

"I  always  believed  in  him,"  she  asserted 
warmly. 

[  174] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

Livingstone  caught  his  name  and,  turning 
to  Mrs.  Wright,  with  some  embarrassment  and 
much  warmth,  declared  that  she  was  mistaken, 
that  he  had  not  done  it. 

Mrs.  Wright  laughed  incredulously. 

"  I  suspected  it  this  morning  when  I  first 
heard  of  it ;  but  now  I  have  the  indisputable 
proof." 

She  held  up  a  note. 

"cl  think  I've  heard  of  you  before/"  she 
laughed,  with  a  capital  imitation  of  Mr. 
Brown's  manner. 

"I  still  deny  it,"  insisted  Livingstone, 
blushing,  and  as  Mrs.  WTright  still  affirmed 
her  belief,  he  told  her  the  story  of  Santa 
Clans' s  partner. 

Insensibly,  as  he  told  it,  the  other  voices 
hushed  down. 

He  told  it  well ;  for  his  heart  was   full   of 
the    little    girl   who    had    led    him    from    the 
frozen  land  back  to  the  land  of  light. 
[  175] 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

As  he  ended,  from  another  room  some 
where  up-stairs,  came  a  child's  clear  voice  sing 
ing, 

God  irest  you,  mer-wy  gentle-men, 
Let  nossing  you  dismay  ; 
For  Jesus  Chsvist  our  Sa-rviour 
Was  born  this  ve-ivy  day. 

Livingstone  looked  at  Mrs.  Shepherd. 

She  was  standing  under  the  long  evergreen 
festoons  just  where  they  met  and  formed  a 
sort  of  verdant  archway.  Two  of  the  children 
of  the  house,  attracted  by  Livingstone's  story, 
had  come  and  pressed  against  her  as  they 
listened  with  interested  faces,  and  she  had 
put  her  arms  about  them  and  drawn  their 
curly  heads  close  to  her  side.  A  spray  of  holly 
with  scarlet  berries  was  at  her  throat  and 
one  of  the  children  had  mischievously  stuck  a 
sprig  of  mistletoe  in  her  hair.  Her  face  was 
turned  aside,  her  eyes  were  downcast,  the 
[  176] 


STANDING,    IN    THE    CHRISTMAS    EVENING    LIGHT,    IN    A    LONG 
AVENUE    UNDER    SWAYING    BOUGHS. 


SANTA  CLAUSES  PARTNER 

long,  dark  lashes  drooping  against  her  cheek, 
and  on  her  face  rested  a  divine  compassion ; 
and  as  Livingstone  gazed  on  her  he  saw  the 
same  gracious  figure  and  fine  profile  that  he 
had  seen  the  night  before  outlined  against 
the  light  in  the  archway  of  the  gate  of  the 
Children's  Hospital.  It  was  the  reflective  face 
of  one  who  has  felt ;  but  when  she  raised 
her  eyes  they  were  the  eyes  of  Catherine 
Trelane.  And  suddenly,  as  Livingstone  looked 
into  them,  they  had  softened,  and  she  seemed 
to  be  standing,  as  she  had  stood  so  long  ago, 
in  the  Christmas  evening  light  in  a  long  ave 
nue  under  swaying  boughs,  in  the  heart  of 
the  land  of  his  youth. 

While    still,  somewhere    above,   the    child's 
voice  carolled, 

—  Let  nossing  you  dismay  ; 

For  Jesus  Chwist  our  Sa-wiour 

Was  born  this  ve-rvy  day. 

FINIS 


D.  B.  Updike 

The  Merrymount  Press 

Chestnut  Street 

Boston 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or  on  the 

date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


FEB  7 

1954  Ltt 

LIBRARY  USE 
DEC  1 2  1955 


LD  21-100m-l,'54(18878l6)476 


UOAN  DEPT 


-UBRARTUSF 


